Securities, Commodities, & Financial Services Sales Agents

Also called: Broker, Equity Trader, Financial Advisor

Career Cluster: Finance
What they do:
Buy and sell securities or commodities in investment and trading firms, or provide financial services to businesses and individuals. May advise customers about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, commodities, and market conditions.
On the job, you would:
  • Make bids or offers to buy or sell securities.
  • Monitor markets or positions.
  • Agree on buying or selling prices at optimal levels for clients.
KNOWLEDGE

Engineering and Technology
  • computers and electronics
Math and Science
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Business
  • customer service
  • accounting and economics
SKILLS

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
ABILITIES

Math
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
Ideas and Logic
  • use rules to solve problems
  • notice when problems happen
Verbal
  • listen and understand what people say
  • communicate by speaking
PERSONALITY

People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.

They do well at jobs that need:
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Attention to Detail
  • Initiative
  • Persistence
TECHNOLOGY

You might use software like this on the job:

Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
Financial analysis software
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • Web-based trading systems
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Oracle PeopleSoft
  • SAP software
EDUCATION


bachelor's degree or high school diploma/GED
usually needed
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JOB OUTLOOK


Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.


Salary:
High: $212,180.00
Median: $76,900.00
Low: $45,420.00
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