ALED JONES, 32, is an associate director at Rensburg Sheppards in Liverpool. He makes day-to-day investment decisions on more than £80m of funds, which he manages on behalf of clients.

Aled, who has a PhD in physics, puts his analytical and technical skills to work researching equity markets and investment opportunities. This was his day:

6.30am: My alarm goes off and I’m up and out for a quick jog around Sefton Park. I like to make sure I get some exercise first thing in the morning since I spend most of my day sitting at a desk.

7.30am: After a quick shower, change and a bite of breakfast, it’s into the car with my wife (a solicitor at a major city centre practice) and a battle through the early rush hour into Liverpool.

8am: I arrive at my desk at the office in the Plaza building, in Old Hall Street. I catch up on the morning's market events, overnight news and scan the morning papers.

The stock market is 50 points higher on the back of a strong close on Wall Street and Asia overnight. Today, there are a few companies, of which we are shareholders, reporting third- quarter trading results.

8.45am: All the investment managers meet every morning to discuss company announcements and the day’s market developments. I give colleagues my analysis of the company trading updates and suggest we should increase our shareholding in one particular stock on the back of improved trading performance.

9.30am: Back at my desk, I am putting a deal together to buy more stock in an FTSE 100 company. In total, we need to purchase £2m-worth of shares and I pass it to our equity dealers to complete the transaction.

10am: I spend the rest of the morning reviewing client portfolios to ensure we are operating within the appropriate risk guidelines and making appropriate adjustments to them.

12pm: I join colleagues to quiz the management of a FTSE 250 company that could be a potential new investment. The company has no debt, strong cash flow and has maintained stable revenues during the economic downturn – a good starting point for a potential investment. These meetings play a key role in our investment decisions and allow us to get answers to any questions we may have.

1pm: Normally I would head out for a bite to eat, perhaps to one of the new delis opening in St. Paul’s Square. Today, however, there is an external investment seminar over lunch, where fund managers are pitching various products and strategies. I make careful notes so that I can report back to colleagues on the most suitable options.

2:30pm: The deal we placed this morning has been completed and allocated to client portfolios. I begin the process of communicating the details of the deal to our clients.

4.30pm: The stock market has now closed. It is up by 36 points, led by the defensive sectors of pharmaceuticals and utilities. I make a final check on stock positions and asset allocation before completing paperwork associated with the various deals undertaken over the course of the day.

5.30pm: I leave the office to attend a professional networking event. It’s a good opportunity for us to interact with our peers in the industry, as well as meeting potential new clients.

7.30pm: I arrive home and after dinner with my wife, I check how the American market is performing before finally getting the chance to put my feet up and relax.