What is Private Wealth?
Working in private wealth is a diverse career field, making it a great job prospect for anyone with excellent relationship management skills. Put simply, it is how individuals and families manage their wealth. As a leading international financial centre, Jersey has a strong private wealth market offering a number of services for private wealth clients from around the world.
Generally, in this role you will:
What Private Wealth Job Opportunities Are There in Jersey?
Jersey is home to significant private wealth expertise, which has been at the heart of the finance industry since the 1960s and Jersey is well-known globally as a centre of excellence in this field.
A career in private wealth spans a number of different areas and people who work in the private wealth sector may help clients with banking, legal, accounting, tax or investment management advice.
High-net-worth individuals will often use a holding structure such as a family office, company, trust or foundation and as part of their investment holding vehicles. These vehicles will be managed by companies in the private wealth space to maintain and grow personal wealth or for philanthropic reasons.
Within these companies, private wealth positions include:
- Administrator
- Financial Advisor
- Relationship Manager
- Portfolio Manager
- Lawyer
- Tax Advisor
What Skills Do I Need?
Gaining professional accreditations is important in this role and many employers will support you in gaining these professional qualifications. The most globally-recognised qualifications include:
| Qualification | Professional body |
| Certificate and/or Diploma in International Trust Management | The Society of Trust and Real Estate Practitioners (“STEP”) |
| Certificate in Foundations | The Society of Trust and Real Estate Practitioners (“STEP”) |
| Chartered Secretaries Qualifying Scheme (“CSQS”) | Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (“ICSA”) |
| Diploma in Offshore Finance and Administration (“DOFA”) | Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (“ICSA”) |
| International Finance and Administration (“IFA”) Qualifications | Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (“ICSA”) |
Your soft skills will be incredibly important to succeeding in the private wealth sector. In this position you will work with a wide range of stakeholders and clients. We asked finance firms in Jersey what skills they are most looking for when hiring in this area and they responded:
- Attention to detail and a desire to provide excellent customer service.
- Communication, interpersonal and listening skills.
- Discretion and an understanding of the need for client confidentiality.
- An ethical and professional approach to work.
- Time management skills.
- Good level of numeracy and IT skills.
- The ability to work as part of a team.
Is a Job in Private Wealth Right For Me?
Hear from people in the industry on why a career in private wealth was the right choice for them:
Linzi Maindonald Manager, Private Client, Hawksford
"I joined the finance industry after finishing my A-levels; I fell pregnant with my son during my last year of exams and then became a fulltime mum for two years, before embarking on my career journey. The finance industry is a great option for islanders looking to embark on a long and successful career path. Many firms, including Hawksford, are now offering flexible, hybrid-working models, which enables you to really have control of your days. My role is varied, with no two days being the same; this keeps me interested and engaged. There is a common miss conception that working in finance is dull and monotonous, but that’s really not the case. At Hawksford, we’re given all the support we need to ensure we are constantly learning and developing. I manage a team of Trust and Company administrators and provide high-end administration to a varied portfolio of clients with a diverse range of assets."
What Should I Do Next?
If you are ready to kick-start your career in private wealth you can find out which companies are currently operating in this field through Jersey Finance’s Business Directory.