Considering a New Career Path? Why Not Financial Services? Part 1

Finding the best career path can be challenging. For some, the number of career options may be daunting. You may be thinking about changing fields amid an established career, because of burnout, a desire for change, or a longing for job with more growth opportunities.

Sometimes you aren’t feeling fulfilled in your current job, as was the case for Ambassador Advisors’ Client Service Associate Tessa Cox. When asked why she changed careers from the mental health and educational fields, she said, “My motivation for changing career paths was due to a need for change and growth opportunity. I was feeling extremely burnt out in my previous jobs. I knew I could not continue on that path for much longer, if I wanted to succeed and maintain a healthy and stable emotional and physical well-being. There was not much room for growth in my previous jobs. I was not feeling as fulfilled with my roles prior to working at Ambassador Advisors.”

In this three-part series about careers in financial services, we’ll examine some different positions in the field of financial services. We’ll look at what hiring managers look for in an application from someone who hasn’t yet gained any experience in this field. Finally, we’ll look at some ways to determine if a career in financial services is right for you, with some helpful insight from Ambassador team members.

Are all careers in the financial industry for people who love working with numbers?

Not necessarily! MB Nolt, who has a degree in English, but is now the Assistant Director of Operations, encourages people to try it. She says, “Even if your educational background doesn’t directly correlate with finance, you can still work towards that goal. Get your foot in the door, even in an entry-level role, and throw yourself into learning. Research everything you don’t understand, ask your colleagues questions about their areas of expertise, and volunteer for new initiatives. You’ll quickly grow your industry knowledge in leaps and bounds.”

There are more careers in Financial Services than you might think. There are financial advisors, financial analysts, financial strategists, portfolio managers, traders, and accounting associates, but also operations, client service, compliance, team development, and even front desk associate positions. Of course, some jobs require an educational degree in these areas or previous experience in the field, but not all of them.

At Ambassador, a Client Service Associate (CSA), for example, assists Financial Advisors with client accounts. They work on the nitty-gritty account details and provide critical administrative support to clients and financial advisors. While CSAs do not offer financial advice, a person in this crucial role often interacts with clients. Here at Ambassador Advisors, we have a CSA-to-Advisor track, where we teach team members the ins and outs of becoming an advisor. Once you complete the requisite licensing exams (the Securities Industry Essentials, Series 7, Series 66, and Life and Health) and get some mentored face-to-face client advising time, the opportunity to become a Financial Advisor is open.

Another position to consider is internally focused: Operations. Associate members of the Operations (OPS) team ensure that the team is on track with the equipment, records, and practices needed to serve their coworkers and clients.

Whatever your interest, you should be able to find something in the financial services industry or legal field that fits your talents.

Next, check out what Ambassador looks for when hiring!

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