Q: What year did you start at Edward Jones? A: I started at Edward Jones in August of 2003. Q: What did you do previously? A: Prior to Edward Jones I worked in Health and Leisure being responsible for the accounts, payroll and enrollment for the Gym membership. Q: Describe the culture at Edward Jones. A: Edward Jones takes a personal approach to business which starts with a face-to-face meeting with a prospective client. There is a firm belief that building long term relationships is the key to servicing the needs of our clients. Doing what is in the best interest of a client is paramount. Everything is done very professionally and being part of a good organization is very rewarding. Q: Talk a little about the support you get from the head office. A: If any help or advice is needed then there is a dedicated team at the head office to help you at all times. Q: Describe a memorable experience with a client you’d like to share that encapsulate or typifies what it’s like to work for Edward Jones? A: We had a married couple who were clients with us. Sadly, the husband passed away suddenly. Having everything with us was a great help to the widow and the estate was sorted out quickly and efficiently. I know this was greatly appreciated especially during this time of great sadness. Building up good communication and trust with the clients is a great benefit. Q: How does Edward Jones compare to the companies where you previously worked? A: Although Edward Jones is a large company you are treated as an individual not as a number. Q: Articulate the spirit of volunteerism that exists at Jones. How have you been involved? A: I volunteered to become a Mentor. I enjoy meeting new people and if I can help a new BOA with any queries then it gives me great satisfaction to have been of some help. I know how much I appreciated the help when I joined Edward Jones. Q: Before you came to Edward Jones, what did the name mean to you? And after you came on board? A: I had not heard of Edward Jones before joining the company. Nearly four years later I feel honoured to be part of such a great firm. Q: What qualities do you think a person needs to have to succeed as a BOA? A: To be a successful BOA you must be very professional, caring, a good listener and dedicated. Q: What keeps you at Edward Jones? A: Working for a caring, professional company is great. I enjoy my job and get satisfaction knowing our clients are being looked after. Q: As you go through your daily activities, how do you know you’ve achieved success at Edward Jones? A: If you do a good job you always get a 'thank you – great job' Q: What is it like to work in a two-person office? A: It is of great importance to work as a TEAM. You have to be self motivated. Q: What is your relationship like with your Financial Adviser? A: My relationship with my Financial Adviser is very good. We hold regular meetings so we know where we are going with the business. Teamwork is paramount to a successful office and relationship. Q: What kinds of things do you do every day to help your Financial Adviser? A: I screen incoming calls. If someone wants to book an appointment I handle it rather than take up the Financial Adviser’s time. I also prepare any paperwork that is necessary for his appointments. Q: What is your relationship like with clients? A: I have a very good relationship with the clients. Over time they have built up a trust with me. Q: How important is it that you work close to where you live? Has it increased your quality of life? A: Working closer to home is very beneficial. Spending less time in traffic you get to work feeling more refreshed and ready to go. Q: What role do you play in increasing awareness of your branch within the community? A: At every opportunity I promote Edward Jones. If any friend or acquaintance mentions something I believe Edward Jones can help them with I ask if we can contact them to arrange an appointment for them to see the Financial Adviser. I enjoy helping out at any seminar we do. Q: Describe the training you received when you started. A: I had five days training at the Home Office. This was very intense and a lot to absorb. However once back in the office people in Branch Services were a great source of help and back up when it was needed. Q: What part of that training was the most helpful? A: My Financial Adviser let me go to another branch and work with an experienced BOA for a day or two. This was very beneficial as you could have 'hands on' experience.
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