No this is not an ABBA song…this is FirstStep.me!)       

Financial companies are businesses it’s just that the commodity they work in is money instead of cans of deodorant! Covering sectors of investment banking, retail banking, trading, insurance, mergers and acquisitions, etc you name it, if there is money involved there is some major financial institution behind it!

It’s a rapid paced environment, which at times can be extremely stressful and harsh! But the pay off is good with hard work and commitment, working in the Financial industry can be extremely rewarding.

The Players:

Deutsche bank (http://www.db.com/)
Investec (http://www.investec.com/)
Alan Gray (http://www.allangray.com/)
Citigroup (http://www.citigroup.com/)
Barclays (http://www.barclays.com/) ABSA (http://www.absa.co.za)
JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank One (http://www.jpmorgan.com/)
Bank of America (https://www.bankofamerica.com/)
HSBC Group (http://www.hsbc.com/)
ING Group (http://www.ing.com/)
Berkshire Hathaway (http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/)
Standard Bank (http://www.standardbank.co.za/)
Standard Chartered Bank (http://www.standardchartered.com/)
PPS (http://www.pps.co.za/)
Nedbank (http://www.nedbank.co.za)
First National Bank (http://www.fnb.co.za)

Who qualifies for the industry?
A business qualification is always beneficial however graduate recruitment programs will train you into the field that you wish to specialize in even if you have a degree/qualification that doesn’t relate to that sector of the business! Its really about being able to make and service money at the end of the day.

The Films:
Boiler Room: Awesome movie going into the world of a young university student who becomes a stoke broker!
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181984/ The International Movie Database)

Wall Street: The hectic world of being a stock broker on Wall Street in the 1980’s! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094291/ The International Movie Database)

Rogue Trader: What not to do and how the stringent protocols of trading today came about! It’s awesome but hectic and you have to say to yourself maybe I could make a name for myself in another way! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0131566/ The International Movie Database)

The Youtube.com Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XruhYQW6unA

The literature:

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Active Trading
Ken Little

The smart way to succeed in electronic trading. There is money to be made in active electronic trading, if investors know the rules of the game and the right investing strategies. This guide includes all the information nonprofessional traders need to be successful at day trading stocks in todayas market, with tips and up-to-the-minute information on the newest technologies, the amazing opportunities in both American and international markets, and strategies for how to profit from them. a Most current day trading guide available a Up-to-date screen captures of dozens of actual trading scenarios a The newest information sites and technologies a Full glossary of trading terms.