BEST RESOURCES FOR BUILDING UP ON OUR COMMERCIAL AWARENESS: FROM SCRATCH

[futuretraineesolicitor]

I am on the lowest chain of this Commercial Awareness bandwagon, I dont even know how money, oil prices , exchange rates work- can anyone suggest me all the resources that can take me from where I am currently to having commercial awareness like a trainee should have. Please mention each and everything you can think of as I have ample time to do it.

 

[Jaysen]

I am on the lowest chain of this Commercial Awareness bandwagon, I dont even know how money, oil prices , exchange rates work- can anyone suggest me all the resources that can take me from where I am currently to having commercial awareness like a trainee should have. Please mention each and everything you can think of as I have ample time to do it.

What have you done so far to try develop your commercial awareness?

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

I have read everything under the sun on Commercial Awareness and how to build upon it and have written down the names of a few resources like Jake Schogger's book, a book named Global Financial Markets, then one by Christopher Stoakes, have signed up on Finimize, but my agenda to ask this here now is for someone to help me layer these resources in order for me to be able to understand them step by step.

 

[Jaysen]

I have read everything under the sun on Commercial Awareness and how to build upon it and have written down the names of a few resources like Jake Schogger's book, a book named Global Financial Markets, then one by Christopher Stoakes, have signed up on Finimize, but my agenda to ask this here now is for someone to help me layer these resources in order for me to be able to understand them step by step.

That's a good start and it's good you want to build up your knowledge here.

If you want to understand how businesses and financial markets operate on a fundamental level, personally I'm a big fan of reading books (and long-form articles) - depending on what you want to learn more about (finance, M&A, private equity etc.). The 'commercial awareness' books are great starting points and useful for interviews, but they're also fairly surface level if you want a deep-rooted understanding of this stuff. You can do this alongside your reading of regular news stories (as well as attending events if you can) so you can see how it applies in practice.

Will look at putting some kind of resource list together at some point - in the meantime, others may have suggestions as to what they’ve found useful.

 

[Nat]

For a general understanding of how businesses and markets operate, I have found that watching youtube videos is the easiest (and most fun) way to learn! Once you have a better understanding of the basics it is much easier to read current awareness material and drill into subjects. You can see some example videos below.

• The stock market - explained by Netflix
• Private equity explained
• Allen & Overy - The anatomy of deal
  
• Simmons & Simmons - Experience a Deal
  
• What gives a dollar bill its value? (explains inflation and deflation)

Hope it helps.
N

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Great. Thanks a lot Nat