How to Start a Career as a Financial Adviser
To launch your career as a financial adviser, you must earn a bachelor's degree and several licenses from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
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Instructions
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Get your bachelor's degree in finance or related fields. Most employers require that financial advisers have a degree in finance, business, accounting or economics. Other degrees are considered, but it's helpful to have coursework in business and statistics in this occupation. To find a list of colleges in your area, check Yahoo's college directory (see Resources), which allows you to narrow colleges by geographic location.
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Get your Series 7, 63 and 66 licenses. These are required in the majority of states to act as a financial adviser. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is the organization charged with licensing individuals. Schedule a testing date and request preparation materials by contacting your nearest office (see Resources).
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Determine whether you want to sell insurance. If so, you must get your license from your state's insurance board. Visit your state's website. There is usually a link to the insurance board on the home page. Request study materials and schedule a testing date.
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Consider earning your Chartered Financial Analyst designation. This designation, offered by the CFA institute, makes you more marketable to potential employers and clients. To earn this designation, you must have a bachelor's degree in any field of study, a minimum of 4 years' work experience and pass three exams.
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Apply for financial adviser positions. Postings are regularly updated at sites such as Monster and HotJobs. Also, you can check companies such as Ameriprise, Charles Schwab or banks and credit unions (which often have in-house financial advisers).
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Tips & Warnings
Update your resume to appeal to hiring managers. If you're recently out of college, highlight coursework completed in statistics and finance. Also, if you have internships with investment firms, capitalize on this experience. Check out sample resumes at Resume Resources to get ideas.
Some states require individuals acting as financial advisers to successfully pass a criminal background check. This will require providing your social security number and a set of fingerprints for processing.
