Does it help to have a series 7 while interviewing for IB? What courses would stand out in a recruiter’s eyes? Do most people have extra “IB tailored” courses when they are interviewing?
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Out of curiosity where'd you get the series 7 as a student? Honestly if you've taken the proper accounting/finance classes you should be good. But programs like training the street and so forth are nice to have on your resume
I have my series 6, 63, and 7 from my financial Advisor job that I started a little over a month ago.
What do you mean by “I should be good”? Meaning I will stand out? Do investment bankers typically get these licenses?
Ryan, Do you have your 65 or 66? Also, do you have your insurance license?
As a former FA, I was required to have the Series 7 and 66 (already had the 6 and 63), as well as insurance in order to be able to discuss annuities, which are considered an insurance product.
If you're applying for an IB position, is this a position in a bank where you're directing business to an advisory team? If so, it is my understanding that you will need your 66 as well, but I could be wrong. You may want to verify. Depending on your organization, you may have a number of avenues to pursue, but where I worked as an FA, which was at one of the largest wirehouses (broker/dealers) in the country, the career path for FAs was very regimented.
Good luck. Going into the FA world is tough. If you can get on a team of other wealth advisors and get a good mentor, which is nearly impossible because they all have their own book of business that they are trying to accommodate, then you have a chance. Or, if you come from wealth and know people who are willing to trust you with their assets, that is your other "in". Otherwise, the FA position is quite challenging. Not a hard job, but client acquisition in this day and age is very challenging.
A Series 7 has nothing to do with investment banking. All it allows you to do is sell securities. You won’t directly deal with stocks in IB. If your school offers classes that teach you Advanced Excel then take that. Otherwise, the basic accounting, finance, econ will suffice.
Series 7 doesn’t help for IBD. However for S&T you need the 7 and 63. So that might be an avenue for you to role with. They’re not hard exams so no one real cares about them. Most places actually require you to pass your exams in the first 3-6 months or you’re out. For IBD it’s the 63 and 79, for S&T it’s the 7 and 63.
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