Institutional Sales with a JD

I'm noticing some equity salesmen on LinkedIn who broke into Institutional Equity Sales with a JD. Their names are not fully disclosed so I can't reach out to them. But, I'm in the process of interviewing for positions in Equity S&T. One thing that concerns me is that in the eyes of the recruiter, he/she may question why I do NOT want to practice law. While, I have Finance experience and some licenses, I am concerned about this.

What would be the best way to explain that I have NO interest in practicing law, but prefer the equity markets?

Full disclosure: I did an externship with the SEC in Investment Management while in law school and did a brief stint at a financial advisory firm after law school.

7 Comments
 

There are quite a few sales guys on my floor that didn't get a degree in finance/business/econ. I've met guys with backgrounds from engineering, PR, pol.sci. and a whole range of liberal arts that deal with retail and institutional clients. They just need a little bit of training and that is why they start out as junior members on a team (divided up eq. sales into tiers).

CNBC sucks "This financial crisis is worse than a divorce. I've lost all my money, but the wife is still here." - Client after getting blown up
 
Working9-5There are quite a few sales guys on my floor that didn't get a degree in finance/business/econ. I've met guys with backgrounds from engineering, PR, pol.sci. and a whole range of liberal arts that deal with retail and institutional clients. They just need a little bit of training and that is why they start out as junior members on a team (divided up eq. sales into tiers).

Oh cool. I have a BBA in Finance though. Series 6 and 63. So really just need sponsorship for the Series 7 and I'll be ready.

 
Best Response

Working, that's not the issue. In the US, a JD is a post-secondary degree, not an undergraduate degree.

TD, how you frame the JD discussion as a nonpracticing lawyer comes down to whether or not you want to make the argument that you're not practicing either because you don't want to or you thought the education and skills learned were better suited to other practices. What I mean here is that with a JD you think and analyze things very differently than most others do and then there is your practical skills courses (App Ad, Persuasion and Advocacy, any negotiation, mediation, or ADR type course) which enhance your ability to sell/argue your thesis behind the pitch. You need to be able to translate the JD into a non-legal role with anyone. That's how you sell the JD to the non-Legal crowd.

 
FriedsWorking, that's not the issue. In the US, a JD is a post-secondary degree, not an undergraduate degree.

TD, how you frame the JD discussion as a nonpracticing lawyer comes down to whether or not you want to make the argument that you're not practicing either because you don't want to or you thought the education and skills learned were better suited to other practices. What I mean here is that with a JD you think and analyze things very differently than most others do and then there is your practical skills courses (App Ad, Persuasion and Advocacy, any negotiation, mediation, or ADR type course) which enhance your ability to sell/argue your thesis behind the pitch. You need to be able to translate the JD into a non-legal role with anyone. That's how you sell the JD to the non-Legal crowd.

Thanks!

 

@Frieds Knew that, so I listed up some of the masters degrees I've come across. One of the most recruited degree on my floor is a masters in 'industrial economics and technology management.' Which makes you a jack of all trades in engineering, know where to invest money (NPV) and how to read an income statement.

Only met one with a PhD in political science and his area of expertise was Latin American countries i.e emerging markets.

See now that I should have written more on what I ment, but this blackberry is a pain in the ass to write on.

CNBC sucks "This financial crisis is worse than a divorce. I've lost all my money, but the wife is still here." - Client after getting blown up
 

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