Financial Services Brokers

Join investment clubs and follow the stock market closely. Participate in investment clubs, competitions, and activities during high school and college to develop your stock-picking skills. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania offers the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition, a free, global, online investment challenge for high school students and teachers. According to the Wharton Web site, “students learn about teamwork, communication, risk, diversification, company analysis, industry analysis, and investing.” Visit https://globalyouth.wharton.upenn.edu/competitions/investment-competition to learn more.

Any sales experience can provide you with a general background for work in financial services. You might be able to find summer employment in a brokerage house. A visit to a local investment office, the New York Stock Exchange, or one of the commodities exchanges located in other major cities will provide a valuable opportunity to observe how transactions are handled and what is required of people in the field. You might even get a chance to arrange an information interview with a broker. Ask your school counselor to help arrange an interview. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What type of software and other tools do you use to conduct research, learn about industry trends, and communicate with clients? What do you like most and least about your job? How did you train for this field? What are some key skills for success? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How will advances in technology change the field? Perhaps you could even job-shadow a broker to learn even more about the field.

Another way to learn more about math, finance, and investing careers include getting involved in summer exploration programs in these fields that are offered to high school students by colleges and universities