High School

Successful investor relations specialists need both great communication skills and financial ability. So it’s a good idea to take classes—such as English, speech, finance, marketing, business, economics, accounting, and mathematics—that will help you to develop these talents. Foreign language, computer science, psychology, and social studies courses will also be useful.

Postsecondary Education

You’ll need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree—ideally from an elite college—in finance, accounting, business, marketing, communications, or public relations to work as an investor relations specialist. Many IR professionals have master’s degrees.

Certification

Many colleges and universities offer certificate programs in communications, public relations, finance, accounting, business, marketing, and related fields. Programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

Other Education or Training

The National Investor Relations Institute and the Canadian Investor Relations Institute provide educational seminars, self-paced courses, workshops, and webcasts on the basics of investor relations, effective public relations techniques, the art of presentations, and other topics. Seneca College (Toronto, Canada) offers two online workshops—Essentials of Investor Relations (IR) and Developing the IR Toolkit—that allow students to earn microcredentials. Seneca College says that "This microcredential is for those who have been working in communications or finance for three to five years, are new to the IR role, and have not been formally trained in this capacity." In addition, some colleges and universities offer courses in investor relations.

Certification or Licensing

Certification can help you keep your skills up to date, and those who are certified typically find it easier to land a job than those who aren’t certified. Applicants who meet educational and experience requirements, pass a rigorous examination, and satisfy other criteria can earn the investor relations charter designation from the National Investor Relations Institute. Visit https://www.niri.org/credentialing/overview for more information. The Canadian Investor Relations Institute (https://www.ciri.org/web/web/Certification.aspx) provides the certified professional in investor relations designation. Some IR specialists earn the chartered financial analyst designation, which is administered by the CFA Institute (https://www.cfainstitute.org/programs/cfa-program). Others are licensed as certified public accountants. The Uniform CPA Examination, which is administered by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, is used by all states.

Several years of experience with a finance-related employer (ideally in a public relations, marketing, or investor relations capacity) is necessary to qualify for entry-level investor relations positions. Investor relations managers need at least five years of experience in lower-level IR positions (or in corporate IR positions); IR directors need 10 years of hedge fund or corporate IR AND finance experience.

Investor relations specialists spend much of their time talking with current and potential investors and writing monthly and quarterly newsletters and other documents, so they must have excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills. Other important traits include attention to detail, good knowledge of the hedge fund industry and trading strategies (e.g., fixed income arbitrage, short selling, long/short equity), and excellent problem-solving ability. Strong Microsoft Office skills, especially in PowerPoint, are also required.