FAQs - Edward Jones Careers

Frequently Asked Questions

As much as we'd like to, we probably won't be able to answer every question we receive regarding student and recent graduate opportunities at Edward Jones. However, we have compiled a list of many of the more commonly asked questions and answers.

Internship and Rotational Development Program (RDP) Questions

Financial Advisor Questions

The answers to specific Financial Advisor questions are available in our Starting Your Financial Sales Career section.

General Questions

Application Questions

Career Fair/Campus Visit Questions

Internship and Rotational Development Program (RDP) Questions

Q: Are recent graduates eligible for the RDP or headquarters internship?
A: You must be graduating in May 2007 or December 2008 to be eligible for the Rotational Development Program. If you graduated in December 2006 or before, you are eligible for all other open positions posted on our careers Web site.

Q: When can I apply for RDP and internship opportunities?
A: RDP and intern recruiting begins in September and wraps up in November each year. Summer internship recruiting runs from January through March.

Q: Do you offer headquarters internships other than during the summer?
A: All Edward Jones headquarters internships are available during the summer. However, we do make exceptions based on business need and student availability.

Q: Does Edward Jones offer branch-office internships?
A: At this time, Edward Jones does not offer a centralized branch-office internship program.

General Questions

Q: Are all of the positions you recruit for in Mississauga?
A: At this time, the Rotational Development Program positions are hired for St. Louis, Mo., and Tempe, Ariz., in the U.S., as well as Mississauga. The Information Systems intern/co-op positions we recruit for are only in St. Louis. Our Canada and U.K. offices recruit one to three full-time hires per year from those areas. These associates spend the first part of the rotational program in St. Louis before returning to their respective homes and their final placements. Full-time headquarters opportunities are available in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. within our headquarters divisions. Nationwide branch opportunities are available for recent graduates interested in becoming a Financial Advisor.

Q: How much does a recent college graduate hire typically earn?
A: Edward Jones does not disclose salary ranges, but as a full-time headquarters associate, you will be compensated in several different ways: salary/hourly pay, profit sharing and a comprehensive benefits program. See Benefits & Compensation for more information.

Edward Jones Financial Advisors start with a base salary and eventually move to a net commission structure with the potential for partnership offerings. See Compensation for more information.

Q: Do I have to take the Canadian Securities Course or any other exams before coming to work at Edward Jones?
A: Rotational Development Program associates are required to take and pass the Canadian Securities Course test within six months of employment. Don’t panic: Over 90% of our rotational associates pass the first time because of our excellent training and support.

Application Questions

Q: What’s the best way to apply for a position?
A: We target multiple universities for our university recruiting program. Participation in on-campus events (career fairs, information sessions, etc.) is the best way to apply. If you do not attend one of our target universities, the best way to apply is to use our online résumé process. Résumés submitted through this process are available to the recruiting area within 24 hours. Mailed, faxed or e-mailed résumés must be processed manually and may not be available to our recruiters for several days.

We do not accept résumés for our Financial Advisor positions. If you are interested in becoming a Financial Advisor through either our PASS Program, Apprentice Program or traditional training program, go to the PASS Program, Apprentice Program or Get Started section to learn how to apply.

Q: How do I send you a hard-copy résumé?
A: Edward Jones prefers that you submit your résumé via our online résumé process. All hard-copy résumés are scanned, converted to text and loaded into our database, so a recruiter may never see your original hard-copy résumé. We do not accept résumés for our Financial Advisor positions. If you are interested in becoming a Financial Advisor through either our PASS Program, Apprentice Program or traditional training program, go to the PASS Program, Apprentice Program or Get Started section to learn how to apply.

Q: I sent my résumé in, but no one has contacted me. When can I expect to be contacted by Edward Jones?
A: All candidates who submit a résumé can expect to receive either an e-mail or a letter acknowledgment. If you have submitted a résumé via our Web site or e-mail, an electronic acknowledgment is typically sent within 48 hours. Hard-copy résumés submitted without an e-mail address take longer to be received depending on résumé processing and postal delivery. If an Edward Jones recruiter reviews your résumé and believes you might be a fit for the position, you will be contacted. We are unable to personally contact everyone given the large volume of résumés we receive each month.

Q: What areas of a candidate’s background do you review before he or she is hired?A: We're in highly regulated industry, so we must carefully review candidates prior to hire. This process includes a background investigation and a securities license check (if applicable).

Q: I have an account with another securities firm. Am I allowed to keep that account?
A: Employees are required to maintain any securities trading accounts at Edward Jones. You will be required to move the account to Edward Jones or close it.

Q: Do you have a minimum GPA requirement?
A: Edward Jones typically looks for students with a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and who possess strong analytical, marketing, leadership and communication skills. Students with lower GPAs are still encouraged to discuss our headquarters opportunities with our recruiters.

Q: Why do you want to review my unofficial transcript if I'm interested in a headquarters position?
A: We consider multiple factors when reviewing a candidate’s folder (major, work experience, leadership, etc.), and the transcript provides us with quantitative details about your overall education. We carefully assess our business needs in each department. Your transcript, coupled with the classes you've taken, shows our hiring team the exposure you've had to finance, communication, business, math, management, etc. It not only enhances your résumé but also is a big help in making sure we recruit the right person for each position.

Career Fair/Campus Visit Questions

Q: What should my expectations be for the career fair?
A: Please bring an updated résumé to the fair so our representatives can review it and assess your qualifications on the spot. You'll also receive an informational brochure and get a chance to ask questions about Edward Jones and our hiring process. Remember that our time for each student is limited, so come prepared and keep the conversation focused.

Q: What is an information session?
A: Our presentations are tailored to the schools and students we're recruiting to fill a specific position. We provide a well-rounded overview of our business and discuss campus hiring and our future growth. We'll also answer any questions you may have about a particular job or division. We also sometimes refer to branch-office visits during the Financial Advisor hiring process as information sessions. To learn more about this process, click here.

Q: What should I wear to a career fair, an information session or an on-campus interview?
A: For the career fair, we know you may be stopping by between classes and you're not able to wear a suit, so there is no mandatory dress code. We want to remind you, however, that first impressions are important. We prefer a business casual approach to our information session. For an on-site interview with Edward Jones, we expect you to arrive in professional business attire.

Q: If I Don’t attend one of the schools that Edward Jones visits, can I still apply for a position?
A: Yes. Please use our online résumé process to apply for a position. If you know someone at Edward Jones who will refer you as a candidate, please contact that person and ask him or her to do so. Also, remember that we have a very limited number of opportunities for our on-campus hiring but that many other divisions at the firm have entry-level positions that you can apply for upon graduation. We do not accept résumés for our Financial Advisor positions. If you would like to apply for this role, click here.

Q: If I Don’t get an on-campus interview, does that mean I'm not qualified to work at Edward Jones?
A: Not necessarily. But you may want to consult with your career services office to see if there are some areas in your résumé or work experience that could use enhancement. We also have limited openings when we're recruiting on-campus, and, as you can imagine, we are highly selective. We have worked with many students in the past who were not accepted for the Rotational Development Program, but we forwarded their information to Edward Jones recruiters who were sourcing recent college graduates. Many of them now work at Edward Jones. We always encourage students to look at our other opportunities and apply if they feel strongly about meeting the demands of that particular job.