Retail Investment Management Phone Sales

I'm an undergrad in my final semester at a small public university, currently interning at an RIA firm, doing client service/advisor support type work.

Over the past year +, I have received communications from, and had a few conversations with a small handful of recruiters for different firms looking to fill seats for positions which might differ in some ways, but basically each of them boil down essentially to phone sales of retirement and investment services/products to existing firm clients.

If the firm I'm interning at ends up offering me a full-time job, my best guess is that first-year pay would be low-mid 40's ... while these jobs I refer to above would be closer to 60k, including bonus. This is a huge factor for me, I'm coming out of school with over 60k total debt, much of it high-interest, and I don't want to be barely able to maintain solvency/make rent payments, etc., after graduating. The whole point of me going back to school in mid-life was to escape these things.

This may seem like a short-term focus, and I don't know if there is much upward movement potential in this kind of role, I would guess not, but this is what I'm targeting, because it seems like my best bet at the compensation I'm looking for and need right now. I was just wondering if anyone had any more info on hiring processes ( I realize it may vary by firm) and what all companies hire for these jobs?

As far as the recruiters (I've heard from both internal and external ones), is their job just to funnel in as many potential applicants as they can, that meet some particular screening requirement? (I think a couple of them found me from a FINRA database for people who have recently passed the SIE). I set up a phone call with one who had emailed me to tell me about the job, and I explained to him my current situation, basically that I would be interested in applying, but that I am still in school and wouldn't be available til May. He told me he would ask his boss if I could start the process now, or if that was too early, but then ghosted me (didn't respond to follow-up email), I hope that's not a bad sign, haha.

I've been trying to find alumni on linked-in who do this job, but couldn't find any. Is networking at all important for this or should I just fire off applications on company websites in a couple weeks and hope to hear back from someone? Any insights on this sort of job, best way to try to get in, my chances, etc.? (My grades are good, and I've done retail sales type jobs for years, if that makes any difference). Thanks.