Q: Why did you come to Edward Jones?
A: I came to Edward Jones because when I was looking for a career, I was moving to Camino Island (WA), and I wanted to live and work in my community and have a career, all at the same time. I started to look up companies, and Edward Jones was one that kept rising to the top of my list – mainly because of its culture. Q: What was it about the culture that attracted you to the firm?
A: As an Financial Advisor at Edward Jones, you get to act more or less as an independent, and at the same time you have this wonderful support system behind you that, for all practical purposes, seems invisible to people. It’s there for me as I need it, and it’s also there for our clients. Q: What was your career before Edward Jones?
A: I was a director for Western Union. Q: What was the training like at Edward Jones?
A: The training at Edward Jones is amazing and grueling at the same time. It’s hard work, but one of the things I tell people who are interested in Edward Jones is that they will never find another firm that has such a fine training package, and they have it down to a science. And if you follow what they have in place, you can’t help but be successful. Q: How has that training helped you in your current work?
A: At Edward Jones, there are opportunities for more training. It never stops. It’s ongoing, quite honestly. That’s another wonderful part of being with Edward Jones. The industry is very dynamic; it does not stand still. And Edward Jones helps you to keep up with that all the time. Q: Tell me what it takes to be a successful Financial Advisor.
A: The qualities are probably the same as in a lot of careers and in life. You have to have some determination, be self-motivated, disciplined – and you’ve got to have a lot of heart. Q: Talk a little about volunteerism at Edward Jones.
A: The volunteerism in the firm is one of the most unique features, I believe, in terms of the culture. And I really cherish that. I have worked in other big organizations, and volunteerism is really not a part of those cultures. To me, the volunteerism says I have a vested interest in my colleague’s success as well as my colleague having a vested interest in my success. And I really cherish that part of the culture. I hope it stays there for as long as I’m a part of this firm. Q: What did you do prior to coming to Edward Jones? What were some of the differences between that experience and this one?
A: I was in sales before – but I didn’t feel that I got the support I needed when I was in the field. One of the first things I noticed when I went to work for Edward Jones, even when I was in the training phase and studying for my Series 7, was the amount of support I got from the home office. It was unbelievable. And not only was it there, but they were very willing, they were friendly, they were very responsive, and they seemed to enjoy being available and helping me in anything I needed done.
|
