Background in IT and Renewable Energy.
I am a long term investor and I have been investing in the UK stock market since the last century!!!
I have learnt that what works best for my style of investing and which allows me to sleep at night is to invest in:
High Quality companies, which make a Profit, growing their EPS, have a Healthy Balance sheet and which have a Tail Wind (aka Momentum) behind them. I don't invest in 'Jam Tomorrow' or 'Blue Sky' companies which don't make a profit and which keep sucking money out of shareholders through share dilution by promising to deliver the world but never do. ;-)
I am a systematic investor who logically analyses the fundamental and technical data which is available on Stockopedia.
I don't bother with forums, bulletin boards, newspapers, story stocks, etc.
I don't bother with companies below £20 million market cap, I don't bother with IPOs (It's Probably Overpriced!!!), I don't bother with Gearing, I don't bother with Shorting.