Employers

There are thousands of wealth management businesses (e.g., banks, investment firms, broker/dealers, family offices, solo practitioners) in the United States alone. Investor relations specialists also work for marketing and public relations firms that offer IR services. Opportunities are found throughout the United States, but are concentrated in geographic areas where a large number of affluent people live.

Starting Out

A good way to break into an investor relations position at a wealth management firm is to first obtain experience in IR, marketing, or public relations at a corporation or consulting firm. Most large corporations have extensive career Web sites that provide information on potential career paths, internship programs, and tips on resume writing and interviewing. At many sites, you can apply for jobs. Many professional associations—including the American Marketing Association (https://jobs.ama.org) and the Public Relations Society of America (https://jobs.prsa.org)—offer job listings and career development resources at their Web sites. Your college’s career services counselors can provide information on networking events, career fairs, and related resources. You can build your professional network by joining professional associations such as the National Investor Relations Institute and by attending informal networking events that are advertised on MeetUp.com. Don’t forget to utilize social networking sites such as LinkedIn to build your network, interact with recruiters, and learn about job openings. 

With experience, an entry-level IR associate at a large firm can advance to the position of assistant investor relations manager, then to IR manager, and finally IR director. A highly-skilled and -experienced investor relations director might be asked to become a partner at the firm. Additionally, there are many opportunities outside the wealth management industry—typically in the IR, marketing, and public relations departments of major corporations. Others work in the marketing or public relations departments of nonprofit organizations or government agencies. 

Read financial publications such as Investor Relations Update (https://www.niri.org/resources/publications/ir-update) and IR Magazine (https://www.irmagazine.com) to learn more about the field.

A strong background in English, speech, marketing, and economics is helpful in this field; take classes in these areas.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings:

• https://www.efinancialcareers.com
• https://www.niri.org/career-center
• https://ciri.imiscloud.com/LandingPages/Member_Services/Job_Listings/Public/JobListings/Jobs-Listings.aspx?hkey=5c29d803-cb5c-47ba-849c-1ce4358ae034 (open to members only)
• https://aba.careerbank.com