What did you do before becoming an FA?

I was a janitor.

A friend of mine's son-in-law (age 32 or so) just joined a major wirehouse. He was a customer service manager for Alaska Air (got pink slipped). Not sure what his major is/was (liberal arts of some type I think). Very people oriented guy and very experienced at handling cranky airline passengers.

I was experienced at dealing with a lot of sh*t.

I once knew this guy who graduated from an Ivy League shcool (NYU if I recall correctly) and went to work for Merrill Lynch when he probably could have gotten in on the institutional side of the business and most likely would have made more money and had a higher chance for success.

I wonder whatever happened to him.

Sorry…I’m feeling a bit like a troll today.  I must be having NASDy Newbie withdrawals. 

[quote=dude]

I once knew this guy who graduated from an Ivy League shcool (NYU if I recall correctly) and went to work for Merrill Lynch when he probably could have gotten in on the institutional side of the business and most likely would have made more money and had a higher chance for success.

I wonder whatever happened to him.

[/quote]

NYU isn't Ivy League...but thanks for the reminder. 

NYU alums think it is

NYU's law school is very good, especially in certain niche areas like securities law.

USC and Stanford alums think we're Ivy League West!

NYU is pseudo Ivy League from my understanding, but then I was just a janitor.

Correction: but then again I was just a janitor. 

I guess I should have said: graduated from a top business school.

Point being that Investment banks recruit from NYU.

Damn, I keep getting it wrong today: investment banks.

Wealth Manager:  I'm sure you'll do great on the retail side.

I was a psychologist.

I was a commercial lender at a bank.  Before that I sold contracts for telephone equipment and systems for office buildings and other businesses (before the break up of ATT)

I was always interested at the different occupations of people who were training at EDJ when I was there.  Some of them I thought odd/funny because I couldn't see any connection.  Airline Stewardess, Chemist, Beer Truck Driver, Television Weather Girl, Sports Equipment Salesman (I guess that one kind of fits for the sales experience), Jewlery Store owner. 

I was a CPA, then trust investment manager.  I’m not at all surprised that your firm isn’t hiring under 30…that’s the biggest hurdle new reps have to deal with…the age thing.  I was mid-30’s when I got my retail licensing.

CPA - Did audit with a Big 6 firm and tax with a local firm that had about 20 professionals.

I was an engineer in the Navy.

[quote=Starka]

I was an engineer in the Navy.

[/quote]

I didn't know they had trains in the Navy.

That was actually pretty funny (no offense, Starka)…

Hey, if the Army Corps of Engineers can have boats, then the Navy can have trains if it wants.

Starka, that was funny!

Dude, Bear Stearns loves Stern alums. They (the Bear) were the first (I think) to recruit a former NFL quarterback to be a broker. His alma mater was Alabama and he couldn't quite fill Joe Namath's cleats.

On my alma mater I was once told USC stands for University of Spoiled Children and sometimes that's quite true!

I sold copiers.

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That was the hardest sales job ever!!!!!!   

If you can sell a copier you can sell anything!!

[quote=ymh_ymh_ymh]

Starka, that was funny!

Dude, Bear Stearns loves Stern alums. They (the Bear) were the first (I think) to recruit a former NFL quarterback to be a broker. His alma mater was Alabama and he couldn't quite fill Joe Namath's cleats.

On my alma mater I was once told USC stands for University of Spoiled Children and sometimes that's quite true!

[/quote]

UCSB  Univeristy California Santa Barbara

You Can Study Bombed

I rode a skateboard and listened to Black Flag.

[quote=ymh_ymh_ymh]

Starka, that was funny!

Dude, Bear Stearns loves Stern alums. They (the Bear) were the first (I think) to recruit a former NFL quarterback to be a broker. His alma mater was Alabama and he couldn't quite fill Joe Namath's cleats.

On my alma mater I was once told USC stands for University of Spoiled Children and sometimes that's quite true!

[/quote]

Actually, its so funny that you mentioned it.  He came to my firm to sell the mutual fund and my manager mentioned it to everyone.  He was modest and didn't have his superbowl ring to show everyone.  The guy was actually a lineman for the Denver Broncos, not a quarterback. 

He's actually pretty astute and has a good grasp on knowledge within the industry besides the funds he was advertising to us.  Besides his big build, you wouldn't have guessed that he was ever in the NFL.

Different guy---I was talking about the former NY Jet who replaced Joe Namath---initials R.T.

As a young (very young soldier) I went to a few SEC (not the regulator) games and watched him play for Alabama. I won quite a few bets courtesy of The Crimson Tide. I didn't realize he was playing for the Bear until 1988 when I opened my first brokerage account. My Bear broker and I used to bet on pro football games. He was a die hard Jets fan. I was and still am a die hard Bears fan. He's the one who told me about R.T. playing for the Bears.

On selling copiers, I never had to do that for a living. Rich Handler (CEO of JEF) sold vacuum cleaners for a while as a college kid. Jimmy Cayne was in the steel scrap biz before joining Bear Stearns. Both did okay for themselves.

Looney, at USC many of the kids study under the influence, but the Marshall ones flunk out if they do it too often.

That's funny about UCSB (party school central).

[quote=WealthManager]

My office has been hiring a lot of new FAs.  I’m a bit surprised with the backgrounds of some of the people they’ve been hiring.   They’ve been hiring people such as professional actors or interior designers who have no aptitude for, much less experience in, financial markets.  Another initially surprising thing is that none of the new hires are under the age of 30 and one of them is almost 60.<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

             Are other offices hiring people with such varied backgrounds?  What are some of the strangest backgrounds that you’ve seen change careers to become an FA?

--WM

[/quote]

Seems to me that some people hire trainees, not for the potential of the trainee, but for the people they bring to the firm.

When the trainee leaves . . . .

My girl went to UCSB and she has told me the stories… Ahhhhh… To go to school in Santa Barbara…

You have 'A' girl blarm?  Yeah right!

I though it was a girl in every town…

[quote=maybeeeeeeee] Seems to me that some people hire trainees, not for the potential of the trainee, but for the people they bring to the firm.

When the trainee leaves . . . .

[/quote]

That was my first thought but after thinking it through, I doubt that a firm would be able to recoup the training expenses if a trainee were not successful enough to stay in the position.<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Two of the examples I gave I think have a better than average chance at succeeding in this business.  The interior designer has the right personality and attitude.  She is far from shy and has a commanding presence that you can’t help but know when she is in the room.  The actor looks like he could have played an FA on TV or in the movies.  He has “the look” and personality that quickly puts you at ease and makes you want to trust him.  While I though these were odd careers to change from, I can certainly see these people becoming very successful FAs.

--WM

There’s a good article in the WSJ today about what makes a good FA. Pretty interesting read.

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What is the title?  I want to read it..  

Can’t remember but it was in the  3rd or 4th section on the inside
pages. It was actually about people recently getting hired by the
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