Investment brokerage jobs require many skills, including a knowledge of business and finance, an understanding of the stock market and experience working in investment brokerage companies. Most investment broker jobs require education in finance, business or economics.

Once you earn a degree, you should seek internships and continuing education opportunities to build upon your skills. Begin your path to investment brokerage employment with a plan to obtain education and training on broad financial topics, as well as specific knowledge necessary for brokers. Look for investment brokerage jobs education and training through:

1. College degrees with an emphasis on investments.

2. Internships that provide work experience at broker dealer jobs.

3. Continuing education opportunities offered by professional organizations.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get a college degree to prepare for investment brokerage firm careers

Many colleges and universities have multiple options for those who want to study topics in investment brokerage. You can choose from one of three major routes to learn the skills you need: business, finance or economics. All of these majors will have some type of training that teaches you how to invest a client's money.

I recommend: Bentley University offers an undergraduate degree in finance that also offers training in investment topics. The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in finance that focus on trading in real world environments.

Talk to broker recruiters about internship positions

To learn more about being an investment broker, you should get on-the-job training in the form of a paid or unpaid internship. Many schools encourage students to apply for internships and provide lists of companies that offer them. You can also find internship listings through a host of other sources.

I recommend: The University of Dreams offers many listings for finance and brokerage internships with established companies in the United States and internationally. The international investment group, Calyon, offers internship positions in the United States and in more than 50 countries around the world.

Study to earn your license for careers in investment brokerage

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) requires that brokers pass the General Securities Registered Representative Examination, or Series 7 exam. To qualify for the exam, a broker must work at a brokerage company for at least four months prior to the exam date. Other state licensing may apply to brokers, depending on their location.

I recommend: FINRA offers many training programs and educational resources to study and pass the Series 7 exam. RegEd offers virtual classes for FINRA exam preparation.

Explore professional organizations for investment brokerage job listings and continuing education

Continuing education is important, especially in a field where the rules are constantly changing. Many professional organizations offer continuing education opportunities for investment brokers to stay advised on the current trends, stay current with their certification, and network with other professionals at conferences and events.

I recommend: The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors provides many continuing education opportunities, including conferences, a resource library and study groups around the country. The National Investment Banking Association offers educational resources, internship listings and organizes conferences for its members.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Some entry level investment brokerage jobs can also serve as an internship opportunity. Entry level jobs get you the experience you need to work in a brokerage firm, without having to finish school first.

If you've always been fascinated by the stock market and have a knack for understanding financial systems, then investment brokerage employment may be the best choice for you. While there may be a lot of competition for investment broker jobs, if you have what it takes, you will go far.

Most of the big investment firms are in the major cities, such as New York or San Francisco, so if you want to find the best investment brokerage jobs, you may want to start by moving where the jobs are. Once you've gained experience, you may be able to move outside of those cities, working at smaller boutiques that offer jobs in investment brokerage.

Those who want to get the best broker dealer jobs should:

1. Start early. The investment world can be hard to break into, especially for someone who is trying to change careers. It's best to start investment brokerage firm careers while you are young.

2. Get a college degree in business or finance. This helps you to understand financial markets, which will help you when applying for investment brokerage job opportunities.

3. Network with other professionals. It's often easiest to get investment brokerage jobs through word of mouth.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start with an internship to gain experience for entry level investment brokerage jobs

Few brokerage firms will hire you without experience, which is difficult to attain. If you take on an internship while you are still in school or on summer break, you will start to build up the experience necessary for work after graduation.

I recommend: Search for available brokerage internships in your area with InternshipPrograms.com. Alternatively, you can go directly to a big-name investment brokerage such as Charles Schwab and see if they offer internships.

Search job boards for investment brokerage job listings

The Internet can be a great way to find local jobs in investment firms. In most cases, you can also upload your resume, which makes it much easier to apply for the jobs that they list.

I recommend: Look through the positions on Juju. You may also find what you're looking for at MySpace Jobs.

Hire investment broker recruiters to do the hard work for you

Searching and applying for investment brokerage jobs can be exhausting. Why not let someone else do the hard work? A recruiter will submit your resume to companies that have available positions, doing their best to find a good match for you.

I recommend: Set up an account with BrokerHunter.com to have them begin searching for your next position. Cornerstone Recruiters International, Ltd. also has contacts in the financial industry that can easily help you get your next job.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Have a professional resume writer customize your resume for investment brokerage careers. These small changes may give you an edge over your competition.

As with any job, working in the investment brokerage industry has its own lexicon. If you can define and understand the investment brokerage job key terms, it'll increase the chances of performing better or attaining a position within the business sector. Nevertheless, this alone won't guarantee success or employment; it'll give you a knowledge base on which you can expand and become comfortable with the profession.

Before you begin to research, review the investment brokerage jobs key terms below:

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

401k planning

The 401k is a popular retirement vehicle for many workers, and planning for retirement is a part of an investment brokerage firm that's important to its profitability. The access to 401k planning should offer a reliable income stream for an investment brokerage.

I recommend: Review the planning tutorial available at 401k Planning. For information on legislation to allow 401k planning for brokerages, see the report from U.S. News.

Margin interest charges

Margin interest charges is the income an investment broker earns from lending money to clients to invest.

I recommend: Examine the margin interest charges primer at Motley Fool for more information.

Assets under management

The term assets under management refers to the money a firm or broker has in their accounts at one time. The larger the assets under management the more responsibility a broker or firm has.

I recommend: Evaluate the definition of assets under management from Investor Words.

Series 7 exam

The series 7 exam is the certification test anyone who wants to sell securities must take. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is the organization that administers the series 7 exam.

I recommend: Study the series 7 exam prep information from Investopedia to gain a thorough understanding of the term. For a briefer explanation of the exam, review the definition at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Securities and Exchange Commission

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, is the agency that regulates the employees of investment brokerages along with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. An investment broker must register with FINRA and the SEC.

I recommend: Assess the registration information from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Broker commissions

Broker commissions are the most common way a person earns money in the profession. A broker gets a fee on each trade he or she makes and/or a percentage of the profits he or she earns on an account. The type of broker commission will vary depending on the company and the expereince and skill of the broker.

I recommend: Evaluate the broker commission information at Charles Schwab & Co for an example of the compensation schedule at a brokerage firm.