Trainee Personal Investment Adviser

Role Summary

The Trainee Personal Investment Adviser will participate in an intensive four-week development programme designed to build the knowledge, professional conduct, communication skills and commercial discipline required to begin a career in investment advisory.

The programme will expose participants to the Nigerian financial services industry, capital market products, client acquisition, consultative selling, client relationship management, investment operations, ethics and regulatory compliance.

Successful participants will be expected to demonstrate strong learning ability, professionalism, integrity, communication skills and the capacity to build trusted long-term relationships with prospective and existing clients.

The role is suitable for individuals who are passionate about financial services, wealth creation, relationship management and helping clients make informed investment decisions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Investment Advisory and Market Knowledge

The trainee will:

Develop a sound understanding of Vetiva’s businesses, products, services and position within the Nigerian financial services industry.
Understand the role and responsibilities of a Personal Investment Adviser.
Learn the structure of the Nigerian financial system and the functions of key regulatory and market institutions.
Develop basic knowledge of equities, fixed-income securities, money market instruments, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and alternative investments.
Understand the relationship between investment risk, return, liquidity, time horizon and client objectives.
Explain investment products and market processes to clients using simple and understandable language.
Understand how securities transactions are initiated, executed, cleared, settled and recorded.

1. Client Needs Assessment and Investment Suitability

The trainee will:

Learn how to identify clients’ financial goals, investment expectations, risk tolerance and time horizons.
Ask relevant questions to understand a client’s financial situation and investment needs.
Support the recommendation of suitable investment solutions based on approved products and client requirements.
Avoid recommending products solely based on sales targets or short-term market performance.
Recognise when a request or investment opportunity may not be suitable for a client.
Maintain a client-first and goals-based approach to investment advice.

1. Prospecting and Client Acquisition

The trainee will:

Build and maintain a structured personal prospect list.
Identify potential clients through professional networks, referrals, events, social circles, LinkedIn and other approved channels.
Differentiate between contacts, leads and qualified prospects.
Prioritise prospects based on readiness, relationship strength, financial needs and potential.
Conduct professional cold calls and warm introductions using approved approaches.
Follow up with prospects respectfully and consistently.
Participate in supervised marketing calls and sales-shadowing activities.
Generate personal leads and document client acquisition activities.
Use approved customer relationship management tools to capture and monitor leads.

1. Consultative Selling and Presentation

The trainee will:

Apply consultative selling principles rather than pressure-based or transactional selling.
Conduct discovery conversations before recommending products.
Prepare and deliver a clear three-to-five-minute professional introduction or investment advisory pitch.
Explain Vetiva’s value proposition without making exaggerated claims or guaranteeing returns.
Present investment opportunities in a client-focused and responsible manner.
Handle questions and objections calmly, professionally and accurately.
Recognise objections as opportunities to provide clarity rather than reasons to pressure clients.
Agree on appropriate next steps, such as follow-up meetings, documentation reviews or further consultations.

1. Client Communication and Relationship Management

The trainee will:

Communicate clearly, respectfully and professionally with clients and colleagues.
Listen actively to clients’ concerns, expectations and emotional cues.
Avoid unnecessary technical language and explain complex information in simple terms.
Manage client expectations regarding investment risk, market volatility, returns and timelines.
Communicate appropriately during difficult market conditions.
Maintain regular and proactive contact with assigned clients and prospects.
Respond to client enquiries promptly and accurately.
Build trust through honesty, consistency, competence and follow-through.
Maintain professionalism when declining unsuitable or non-compliant client requests.

1. Client Onboarding and Documentation

The trainee will:

Develop an understanding of the client onboarding and investment transaction lifecycle.
Support the collection and review of client onboarding documentation.
Explain the purpose of Know Your Customer requirements to clients.
Ensure that client information is properly captured through approved channels.
Understand the importance of identity verification, address verification, source-of-funds information, mandates and risk profiling.
Follow the required onboarding sequence before any investment transaction is processed.
Keep clients informed about onboarding requirements, timelines and outstanding documentation.
Work collaboratively with operations, compliance and other support teams.

1. Ethics, Compliance and Professional Conduct

The trainee will:

Act honestly, fairly and in the best interest of clients.
Understand the principles of fiduciary duty, including care, loyalty, good faith and proper disclosure.
Comply with Vetiva’s policies, regulatory requirements and professional standards.
Maintain confidentiality and protect client information.
Use only approved platforms and communication channels when handling client information.
Avoid making guarantees, unsupported claims or market predictions.
Identify and escalate possible compliance concerns, unusual transactions or documentation issues.
Avoid acting on confidential, privileged or price-sensitive information.
Recognise potential conflicts of interest and disclose them appropriately.
Document important client discussions, recommendations and decisions.
Demonstrate the confidence to decline or escalate requests that breach policy or regulatory requirements.

1. Training, Assessments and Reporting

The trainee will:

Attend and participate fully in all in-person and online training sessions.
Complete assigned readings, exercises, presentations and practical activities.
Participate in role plays, case studies, pitch sessions and supervised client interactions.
Prepare reports on prospecting, sales-shadowing and lead-generation activities.
Accept constructive feedback from facilitators, peers and supervisors.
Complete written, oral and practical assessments.
Demonstrate improvement throughout the programme.
Maintain punctuality, discipline and professional conduct at all times.
Education and Qualifications

Candidates should possess:

A bachelor’s degree or Higher National Diploma in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Banking and Finance, Marketing, Insurance, Statistics or a related discipline.
A minimum of Second-Class Lower Division or Lower Credit from a recognised institution.
Completion of the National Youth Service Corps programme or possession of a valid exemption certificate.
Basic understanding of financial markets, investments, business development or customer relationship management.
Relevant professional qualifications or certifications will be an advantage but are not compulsory.
Experience
Zero to three years of work experience in financial services, banking, insurance, fintech, investment management, sales, customer service, business development or a related field.
Previous internship or graduate trainee experience in a financial institution will be an advantage.
Experience in client-facing roles, sales, relationship management or customer service will be beneficial.
Candidates with demonstrable personal networks, community involvement or business-development potential may have an advantage.
Required Skills and Competencies
Communication Skills
Strong spoken and written English.
Ability to explain information clearly and simply.
Active listening and questioning skills.
Confidence in speaking with individuals and groups.
Professional telephone, email and digital communication etiquette.
Relationship-Building Skills
Genuine interest in understanding and helping people.
Ability to build trust and maintain professional relationships.
Strong interpersonal and networking skills.
Emotional intelligence and empathy.
Respectful approach to people from different backgrounds and financial levels.
Commercial and Sales Potential
Interest in client acquisition and business development.
Ability to identify and follow up on potential opportunities.
Confidence in initiating professional conversations.
Resilience when facing rejection or hesitation.
Willingness to build a long-term client portfolio.
Ability to sell responsibly without using pressure or misleading claims.
Analytical and Learning Ability
Ability to understand basic financial concepts and investment products.
Strong attention to detail.
Good judgement and problem-solving ability.
Ability to apply learning to practical client situations.
Curiosity and willingness to learn continuously.
Ethics and Professionalism
High level of integrity and personal accountability.
Respect for confidentiality.
Commitment to ethical conduct and regulatory compliance.
Ability to identify and escalate concerns.
Willingness to put client suitability and long-term outcomes ahead of short-term sales.
Digital Skills
Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Ability to use email, virtual meeting platforms and digital productivity tools.
Familiarity with LinkedIn and professional social media use.
Ability to learn customer relationship management systems and investment platforms.
Personal Attributes

The ideal candidate should be:

Professional and well-presented.
Honest, responsible and trustworthy.
Confident without being aggressive.
Coachable and open to feedback.
Self-motivated and goal-oriented.
Organised and disciplined.
Calm under pressure.
Respectful and emotionally intelligent.
Persistent without being intrusive.
Comfortable working independently and within a team.
Interested in building a long-term career in investment advisory and financial services.
Performance Expectations

Participants will be assessed based on:

Attendance and punctuality.
Understanding of investment products and market institutions.
Communication and presentation ability.
Quality of client discovery conversations.
Ability to explain risk and investment uncertainty.
Professional conduct and ethical judgement.
Prospecting activity and quality of generated leads.
Use of customer relationship management tools.
Quality of practical reports and assignments.
Performance during role plays and supervised marketing calls.
Written and oral assessment results.
Responsiveness to feedback and demonstrated improvement.
Ability to represent Vetiva professionally.
Key Programme Deliverables

During the programme, each participant may be required to:

Develop a structured personal prospect database.
Prepare cold-call and warm-introduction scripts.
Deliver a three-to-five-minute investment advisory pitch.
Conduct supervised prospecting and marketing calls.
Participate in client discovery and objection-handling role plays.
Prepare reports on sales-shadowing and lead-generation activities.
Demonstrate familiarity with Vetiva’s approved products and services.
Complete written and oral assessments.
Present a final client advisory or business-development case study.
Success Profile

A successful Trainee Personal Investment Adviser will demonstrate the ability to:

Build rapport and trust with prospective clients.
Listen before recommending.
Explain investment concepts in everyday language.
Match investment solutions to client needs.
Prospect consistently and professionally.
Handle objections without pressure or defensiveness.
Manage confidential information responsibly.
Follow onboarding, operational and compliance processes.
Build relationships that can develop into sustainable long-term client portfolios.
Preferred Candidate Profile

Preference may be given to candidates who:

Have a genuine interest in investments, wealth management and financial markets.
Demonstrate strong communication and relationship-management skills.
Have an active professional or business network.
Show evidence of leadership, entrepreneurship, volunteering or community involvement.
Are comfortable using LinkedIn and other professional networking platforms.
Can demonstrate resilience, discipline and consistency.
Are willing to generate leads and develop a personal client portfolio.
Understand that investment advisory requires patience, trust and long-term relationship building.