Brokerage Clerks

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Depending on the job description, brokerage clerks can be high school or college graduates. Positions dealing with the public, such as broker's or sales assistant, and those dealing with more complicated financial records are increasingly being held by college graduates.

Brokerage clerk jobs require good organizational and communication skills, as well as attention to detail. Computer skills also are important in order to enter and retrieve data quickly. A Series 7 brokerage license can make a clerk more valuable to the broker because it gives the assistant the ability to answer more of a client's questions and to pass along securities recommendations from the broker. Before clerks can obtain a license, however, they must pass the General Securities Registered Representative Examination (Series 7 exam), administered by the NASD, and be an employee of a registered firm for at least 4 months.

Most new employees are trained on the job, working under the close supervision of more experienced employees. Some firms offer formal training that may include courses in telephone etiquette, computer use, and customer service skills.

Clerks may be promoted to sales representative positions or other professional positions within the securities industry. Some of the larger firms have training programs, especially for their college graduates, that provide clerks with the skills they need for advancement.

source: OOH; about this section