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In the capital market, stock exchange is one of the most important constituents. It assists private or public companies to find investment opportunities by selling their shares. In India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulatory body in this sector. There are two national level stock exchanges that are primarily operating – the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Few others are also listed as Regional Stock Exchanges (RSEs). Other SEBI listed stock exchanges include the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), the Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE), the Metropolitan Stock Exchange (MSE), the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, NSE-IFSC Ltd., the Indian Commodity Exchange (ICE) and the India International Exchange (India INX).

The stock market, also known as the share market or the equity market, offers a number of career opportunities. Students or individuals from varied backgrounds can pursue various career paths such as - stock broker and trader, financial and investment advisor, portfolio management services provider, financial and equity analyst, hedge fund manager, mutual fund manager, risk analyst etc. Traditionally, people have invested in bank fixed deposits, gold or in real estate markets. However, since the last few years, people have shown interest in equity and mutual funds. The fall of the real estate market can be considered another reason behind it. People interested in the market are not always educated about the high risks of the sector and there is great scope for trained specialists. This has created an urge in students to take up various career options in the stock exchange sector.

Courses

Not only graduate or post graduate students of finance but a number of individuals from different backgrounds like Information Technology (IT) and banking are now seeking professional careers in the market. If the National Education Policy (2020) gets approved nationwide, a multidisciplinary system will be applicable for graduate students. So, while pursuing specialisation in a different subject, a student of science, engineering or humanities can also study the financial market. To pursue the career, one has to register in the stock exchange and SEBI. Hence, in this competitive atmosphere, few courses are there to help a finance student stay advanced. 

To become a stock analyst one can, opt for courses like the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) course and the Chartered Accountancy (CA) course for fundamental outlook of the equity market ecosystem. Studying the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) course, the Financial Risk Management (FRM) course, the equity dealer course, the advanced course in investment and portfolio management, the diploma course in research analytics, the stock market certificate course, the advanced course in SEBI and the stock market course for stock traders – will all offer better understanding of trading, risk management, technical analysis and quantitative finance. MBA in finance or investment banking will also provide additional leverage. These courses help students to analyse the existing companies and their financial trends. This helps them to acquire insights pertaining to the best sector or company for investment options.

In 2006, SEBI established the institute of National Institute of Securities Market (NISM) to provide mandatory certifications and courses for aspiring students. Before NISM, the NSE Certification for Financial Markets (NCFM), established by the NSE, was used to provide these certificates.

Courses by Elearnmarkets

Vineet Patawari, Co-founder, Elearnmarkets, told BE, “With four lakh plus registered learners, Elearnmarkets is an online financial education platform. It is helping them to gain knowledge about the stock market with more than 100 courses including self-paced and live courses. We offer certification courses which are certified by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Academy, the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX). Conducted by hundreds of market experts, these courses help to build the right psychological mind that is required to have a long-lasting career in the market.”

A career in the stock market can be important during the pandemic when other career opportunities are shrinking. Agreeing on the matter, Patawari added, “This pandemic has shown us that professional careers can come to a standstill in a short period of time and the recent job loss data show the same. However, on the other hand, one industry that has grown multifold during the same time is the stock market. Career in the stock market provides a chance to become self-independent. Not only can one become an investor or a trader but they can also go on to work for investment companies, financial institutions and brokerage firms. However, before venturing into the stock market, proper knowledge and guidance are very important.”