JW...

I am a new FA with SB.

There are two tests.  On is math related and the other is a personality type test.  No big deal and you can't really study for them.  They are supposed to determine your liklihood of succeeding in the industry and passing the Series 7.

If you pass them both, you will get another interview.  At this interview you will present yourself and convince the branch manager that you are a worthy candidate for his branch.  One thing about SB Branch Managers...they are NON-producing.  They spend their time managing and helping FAs grow their books...instead of spending their time building their own books.

If you pass this interview you will be invited to present a business plan.  Nothing fancy...and if your recruiter is worth a darn, he/she will provide you with a template to build it on.  (I had my business plan prepared and gave it to the manager on the first interview...before I even took the tests.)

Basically...if you have a history of success in the past, a decent education, a sales orientation, are money oriented and speak well...you are a candidate.  The fewer of these traits that you possess, the less likely you are to be selected.

Remember this...it is a sales and marketing job...first and foremost.  If you want to pick stocks, become a portfolio manger at a fund house somewhere.

Also...rent the video Boiler Room and NEVER, EVER do anything you see in that video. Might as well rent Wall Street and Glen Garry Glenn Ross too while you are at it.  Same advice.

Good Luck!  SB is a good firm.

[quote=FinclPlngPro]

JW...

Remember this...it is a sales and marketing job...first and foremost.  If you want to pick stocks, become a portfolio manger at a fund house somewhere.

Also...rent the video Boiler Room and NEVER, EVER do anything you see in that video. Might as well rent Wall Street and Glen Garry Glenn Ross too while you are at it.  Same advice.

Good Luck!  SB is a good firm.

[/quote]

Those are two great pieces of advice, we really are in sales and marketing. At some point you get smart enough to manage the managers and pick the right uit's, etf's, funds, bonds, but picking stocks is a whole different story.

The only good thing in Boiler Room is, "act as if!" Just watch that first scene with Ben Affleck.

Fincl, Giff74

Thanks for the advice!  I went in this morning and took the personality and math test....they told me they would try and have the results for me by Thursday.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed, I'm nervous. 

Is the salary pay pretty good while you're in training and for your first year or so on the job?

How hard was the math? what type of questions?

Thanx