Skip navigation

Talk about a sorry sack of

or Register to post new content in the forum

28 RepliesJump to last post

 

Comments

  • Allowed HTML tags: <em> <strong> <blockquote> <br> <p>

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Mar 12, 2007 7:54 pm

I am 48 yrs. old, a licensed NYS attorney (although I practice on a part time basis) and a 25 year veteran of law enforcement (currently in the top job at a small town PD).  I applied to EDJ and was promptly turned down, no telephone interview, nothing!).  I called the recruiting dept. and am waiting to hear back.

I an interested in the business (1000's of contacts/prospects) and eager to work. 

Any thoughts on why I would be promptly turned down and where should I look now.  Located near Rochester NY

Mar 12, 2007 8:06 pm

Missed,

I can guess why...they really don't want anyone who is smart enough to figure things out too quickly, doesn't say a lot for me as it took me four years.  Even though I'm slow to learn, I learn well.  Could be that you are too successful and they know you probably don't want to starve your first couple of years.  Try a real firm like Merrill or AG Edwards, or possibly try to hire into an indy practice as a sub-producer with the ability to move up to partner.  My advice, stay away from Jones!!

Mar 12, 2007 8:44 pm

Missed–Count yourself lucky!  Hit the big names and get a few years under your belt and then trully open your own practice(indy).  EDJ SUCKS!

Mar 12, 2007 11:54 pm

Missed,

You sound like you have all that a recruiter/branch manager could ask for in a trainee. Don't even flinch at the "rejection" (if you can call it that) by EJ. Like someone said, you might be overqualified for that firm. I know a firm like Smith Barney would LOVE a guy with your qualifications, after all - Citigroup is run by a lawyer.

Anyhow, take a day or two to shake that feeling off and if you're really truly interested I recommend the following firms for you to consider. Each have their own strengths and all are firms that I interviewed with and considered myself:

Smith Barney, RBC Dain Rauscher, UBS

Mar 13, 2007 12:11 am

I agree with 707, as mentioned above - Smith Barney, Merrill, UBS and

Morgan would love a person with your qualifications.



They also have the time, energy, and ability to offer the types of services

that you’d be able to provide to your potential clients.



I’d contact the larger firms and inquire about a possibility of getting an

interview.



I would NOT feel like you missed the boat on the EJ offer that didn’t

materialize. Lots of better firms to consider.



C

Mar 13, 2007 12:23 am

MTB

   E Jones didn't think you would drink the koolaid, knew you would figure them out too quickly. That attorney thing scared them off. They do have some strange hiring practices. They are looking for the used car salesman that can't do any better and is just glad to have the job.

Mar 13, 2007 1:36 am

[quote=Missedtheboat]

I am 48 yrs. old, a licensed NYS attorney (although I practice on a part time basis) and a 25 year veteran of law enforcement (currently in the top job at a small town PD).  I applied to EDJ and was promptly turned down, no telephone interview, nothing!).  I called the recruiting dept. and am waiting to hear back.

I an interested in the business (1000's of contacts/prospects) and eager to work. 

Any thoughts on why I would be promptly turned down and where should I look now.  Located near Rochester NY

[/quote]

I know Rochester, NY very well, and I know for a fact that if you simply call Morgan Stanley (call the Linden Oaks office) and/or Smith Barney (call the Pittsford office,) your chances of getting hired are extremely high.
Mar 13, 2007 1:56 am

I believe the most attractive thing about Jones is its highly unique business model. Anyone can sit in a room full of fraternity guys and cold call all day with a branch manager making sure that every other aspect of the business is taken care of; however, at Jones, you are running your office the way you want and doing business the way you want.

The majority of prospective advisors come on this forum and ask for advice about Edward Jones Investments--not the wireshouses. There is a reason for that. Those who can hack it at Jones can live in a small town and make a living like a big city lawyer. 

Missed--I'd tell you to pursue your situation and find out what went wrong. You sound like you'd be a fantastic addition to a fine investment firm. 

Mar 13, 2007 2:10 am

Borker Boy

 You must be a newby -  "the majority of prospective advisors come on this forum and ask for advice about Edward Jones Investments-- not the wirehouses"  - the reason is most prospective advisors/SALESMEN with EJ don't have a clue - no experience, no background in investments. My favorite fellow Joneser was the car salesman that had been fired from two car dealers but was hired by Jones. Let's hire some newby, put him in a situation where he won't survive and I'll have his good customers  move to me when he leaves. It's been good for my business. Maybe I can get yours when you leave Borker Boy.

Mar 13, 2007 2:16 am

Thanks for the great responses.  It was rather disheartening to get a no signature rejection letter like that.  I have spent considerable time and energy to get where I am today and to receive such a letter was an absolute shock.

I will take the advice and contact other agencies in the area.  As I said I am excited about the prospects of this career and will definitely continue my pursuits.  Thanka again.

Mar 13, 2007 3:12 am

Here we go with the Ford-Chevy-Dodge argument again.

I'll give some insight to the poster's original question:  Why he was rejected.

I don't work in the human resource dept at EJ nor do I have first hand experience as to the interworkings of that department, so take it for what it's worth.

They probably use an automated resume search program, as do most large companies do now.  I don't know if they read every one, I highly doubt it (430,000 applications last year according to Fortune magazine).  Not sure if you're familiar with how search engines work but they look at the document word by word and look for certain key words.  If your resume doesn't satisfy the preset number of keywords or key phrases it won't make it past the 1st screening.  If it was read by a person, they'll train the person to look for sales/entrepeneur/security trading/etc experience and if nothing is there about what was mentioned above and you were "President of the World" they'll probably file 13 it and head to lunch. This is a sales job, they're looking for key words that pertain to sales.  In addition to entrepeneur, business, securities, bonds, etc anything that pertains to what you'll be doing and what they're looking for.

If you look on their website there is a list that details what they're looking for.  Just make sure your resume reflects that.  Whether a computer reads it or a clock watcher, either way they probably don't even understand what you do or did, therefore you have to write your resume to target your audience.  You also have to remember, they're recruiting will, not talent, as in any entrepeneur type of position.  You can be the smartest person in the world, but if you zone out if the boss isn't watching you, an entrepeneur job won't work.

They run a massive company, I'm sure they turn down lots of talent/will every year because of stupid bureaucratic mess-ups.  Just keep applying and don't make a decision to work for them or not until after they extend an offer of employment.  As I understand it, you have 60 days to accept the offer once it's made.  Personally, I'd rather pick from 3-4 offers than 1 or 2.

Hope this helps and good luck to you.

Mar 13, 2007 3:40 am

[quote=Rustiew2]

Thanks for the great responses.  It was rather disheartening to get a no signature rejection letter like that.  I have spent considerable time and energy to get where I am today and to receive such a letter was an absolute shock.

I will take the advice and contact other agencies in the area.  As I said I am excited about the prospects of this career and will definitely continue my pursuits.  Thanka again.

I will give some insight. You in all likelihood don't have a history of increasing income having worked in a PD. Strike 1. You don't have a background in sales. Strike 2. You are a lawyer. Strike 3. (Oops, that was just trying to be funny). If you are still interested in EJ, I would go to a local office and talk to a rep. It couldn't hurt. BTW, the firms like AGE and RJFS are all good firms as well.

[/quote]
Mar 13, 2007 6:10 am

Jones likes consistency of employment, if you have jumped around to several firms within the last several years, you will be rejected.  If you don’t have a reasonably ambitious resume, you will also be rejected.  The best way to get a job at any wirehouse is to go to a local office and hammer a branch manager face to face.

Mar 13, 2007 3:11 pm

Borker Boy Said:

I believe the most attractive thing about Jones is its highly unique business model. Anyone can sit in a room full of fraternity guys and cold call all day with a branch manager making sure that every other aspect of the business is taken care of; however, at Jones, you are running your office the way you want and doing business the way you want.

Borker, I thought you went home.  I especially like the running the office the way you want part.  Whether you want to admit it or not BB, you're an employee and you will run your office THEIR WAY!  You may have some say in which of their recommended investments you sell, but you will do it their way or you will be shown the highway.  Jones doesn't like intelligent thinkers who think outside the box, they want koolaid drinkers and if you've shown any signs of thinking outside the box you'll be closely scrutinized.  I heard of a top producing Jones rep who put together a great mix of funds that had a great track record and consistency in up and down markets but it was composed of five mutual fund families when the Jones max allowable # of families is three.  Even though the clients understood they would be missing some break points and that they would make higher returns, Jones would not let them invest in this portfolio.  So much for getting to run your office your way.

BB, sit down and have some more koolaid.

Missed--I'd tell you to pursue your situation and find out what went wrong. You sound like you'd be a fantastic addition to a fine investment firm. 

[/quote]
Mar 13, 2007 4:51 pm

[quote=rankstocks]Jones likes consistency of employment, if you have jumped around to several firms within the last several years, you will be rejected.  If you don't have a reasonably ambitious resume, you will also be rejected.  The best way to get a job at any wirehouse is to go to a local office and hammer a branch manager face to face.[/quote]

Rank,

Are you in the HR  dept at jones??  I didnt think so...so why are you aanswering like you are?

Mar 13, 2007 5:31 pm

[quote=Rustiew2]

Thanks for the great responses.  It was rather disheartening to get a no signature rejection letter like that.  I have spent considerable time and energy to get where I am today and to receive such a letter was an absolute shock.

I will take the advice and contact other agencies in the area.  As I said I am excited about the prospects of this career and will definitely continue my pursuits.  Thanka again.

[/quote]

Well, I was with you until that post.  Get over it.  I thought you were a cop?  Where is your thick skin???  Or have been able to have your way for the past 20 years boss man, and now you are used not to hearing the word "NO".

Cause you will hear that word more times than you hear the word YES.  You need to completely step back and realize you are starting all over again - - - at the bottom of the totem pole.  You will be a "trainee" and can expect to take a fair amount of sh** from your manager and the brokers in your office.  All with a smile on your face.

Oh, and there are your best friends, family, church buddies, bowling buddies, you name it who will also tell you NO, after you thought there was NO WAY they would not give their money to you.

Are you still smiling???   Still energetic???  Reading and working to build up your knowledge of a completely NEW industry????  THEN and only then will you succeed.  Because, if you hit the hive for long enough, the bees will fly away (some will sting you) and you GET THE HONEY.  This is a great business, but it is a tough business.

Do yourself a favor and forget EDJ.  Go to RJ, AGE, Wachovia and build a business you can be proud of.

Good luck.

Mar 13, 2007 6:21 pm

MTB,

If you are really interested in EDJ, here's what you need to do.  Find out who in your area is a larger producer, and introduce yourself to him.  Tell him/her what has happened, and let him submit your resume. 

Home office looks at IR referrals much more readily than other job applicants.  Plus, it helps the producer score points with regional leader, LP, diversification trips, etc.  So he will a vested interest in seeing you get hired.

Mar 13, 2007 6:35 pm

[/quote]

Well, I was with you until that post.  Get over it.  I thought you were a cop?  Where is your thick skin???  Or have been able to have your way for the past 20 years boss man, and now you are used not to hearing the word "NO".

Cause you will hear that word more times than you hear the word YES.  You need to completely step back and realize you are starting all over again - - - at the bottom of the totem pole.  You will be a "trainee" and can expect to take a fair amount of sh** from your manager and the brokers in your office.  All with a smile on your face.

Oh, and there are your best friends, family, church buddies, bowling buddies, you name it who will also tell you NO, after you thought there was NO WAY they would not give their money to you.

Are you still smiling???   Still energetic???  Reading and working to build up your knowledge of a completely NEW industry????  THEN and only then will you succeed.  Because, if you hit the hive for long enough, the bees will fly away (some will sting you) and you GET THE HONEY.  This is a great business, but it is a tough business.

Do yourself a favor and forget EDJ.  Go to RJ, AGE, Wachovia and build a business you can be proud of.

Good luck.

[/quote]

20 years of not hearing "no"?  Unlike some in the field (law enforcement or FA) I did not start at the top.

As for tough skin, it's a lot easier to deal with rejection when you are beating the crap out of some perp. 

Mar 13, 2007 8:36 pm

[quote=Missedtheboat]

I am 48 yrs. old, a licensed NYS attorney (although I practice on a part time basis) and a 25 year veteran of law enforcement (currently in the top job at a small town PD).  I applied to EDJ and was promptly turned down, no telephone interview, nothing!).  I called the recruiting dept. and am waiting to hear back.

I an interested in the business (1000's of contacts/prospects) and eager to work. 

Any thoughts on why I would be promptly turned down and where should I look now.  Located near Rochester NY

[/quote]

You know legal speak.   <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

sorry

Mar 13, 2007 9:03 pm

Hang on, is Missed and Rustiew2 the same person or are we not seeing all of the posts?? Let’s keep our rejected Jones wann-bes to a minimum here.  Jones needs to hire as many folks as they can to keep all of those offices that are being abandoned filled with new brokers.