Mutual Fund Portfolio Managers

Portfolio managers work full time and some work more than 40 hours per week. Some companies offer better hours and provide good work/life benefits. Some financial companies offer flexible work schedules, compressed work weeks, a telecommuting option, and other programs

At large companies, the portfolio manager is assisted by a team of analysts, researchers, traders, and office staff. At a small firm, the portfolio manager may have to do a lot of his or her own research, stock trading, and company analysis. And some may even be asked to market funds to potential investors and handle some back-office duties.

This career can be extremely stressful at times. Each day, a fund’s performance is compared to the market benchmark or the funds of the portfolio manager’s peers. If their fund underperforms for a long time, they may lose their jobs.

Diversity remains an issue in the mutual fund industry. Only a small percent of fund managers are women, and they exclusively manages an even smaller percent of the industry’s assets and open-ended funds. Additionally, the number of ethnic minorities in the industry is far below their average in the overall U.S. population.