Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
Overview
SaveJob Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
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.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $208K |
| Median: | $64K |
| Low: | $36K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Make bids or offers to buy or sell securities.
- Monitor markets or positions.
- Agree on buying or selling prices at optimal levels for clients.
- Keep accurate records of transactions.
- Buy or sell stocks, bonds, commodity futures, foreign currencies, or other securities on behalf of investment dealers.
- Complete sales order tickets and submit for processing of client-requested transactions.
- Report all positions or trading results.
- Discuss financial options with clients and keep them informed about transactions.
- Interview clients to determine clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, or financial objectives.
- Develop financial plans, based on analysis of clients' financial status.
- Identify opportunities or develop channels for purchase or sale of securities or commodities.
- Review all securities transactions to ensure accuracy of information and conformance to governing agency regulations.
- Devise trading, option, or hedge strategies.
- Supervise support staff and ensure proper execution of contracts.
- Determine customers' financial services needs and prepare proposals to sell services that address these needs.
- Track and analyze factors that affect price movement, such as trade policies, weather conditions, political developments, or supply and demand changes.
- Inform other traders, managers, or customers of market conditions, including volume, price, competition, or dynamics.
- Offer advice on the purchase or sale of particular securities.
- Relay buy or sell orders to securities exchanges or to firm trading departments.
- Contact prospective customers to present information and explain available services.
- Explain stock market terms or trading practices to clients.
- Calculate costs for billings or commissions.
- Prepare financial reports to monitor client or corporate finances.
- Supply the latest price quotes on any security, as well as information on the activities or financial positions of the corporations issuing these securities.
- Evaluate costs and revenue of agreements to determine continued profitability.
- Sell services or equipment, such as trusts, investments, or check processing services.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
87%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Economics and Accounting
79%
Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
English Language
77%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Mathematics
75%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Sales and Marketing
75%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Computers and Electronics
70%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management
69%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Law and Government
63%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Administrative
60%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Communications and Media
54%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
75%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
75%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
73%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
73%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Learning
70%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Persuasion
70%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Reading Comprehension
70%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking
70%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Complex Problem Solving
68%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Social Perceptiveness
68%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
83%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
78%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Speech Clarity
73%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension
73%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Problem Sensitivity
70%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Recognition
70%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression
70%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning
68%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering
68%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Top 10 Work Activities
Working with Computers
89%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Getting Information
86%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
85%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
82%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Processing Information
82%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
81%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
80%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
80%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Analyzing Data or Information
78%
Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
78%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
- Negotiate prices or other sales terms.
- Monitor market conditions or trends.
- Maintain records of sales or other business transactions.
- Sell products or services.
- Prepare sales or other contracts.
- Process sales or other transactions.
- Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.
- Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
- Explain financial information to customers.
- Identify investment opportunities or strategies.
- Develop professional relationships or networks.
- Customize financial products or services to meet customer needs.
- Review accuracy of sales or other transactions.
- Develop proposals for current or prospective customers.
- Analyze market conditions or trends.
- Share sales-related or market information with colleagues.
- Explain technical product or service information to customers.
- Contact current or potential customers to promote products or services.
- Calculate costs of goods or services.
- Estimate costs or terms of sales.
- Monitor sales activities.
- Supervise sales or support personnel.
- Coordinate activities with suppliers, contractors, clients, or other departments.
- Analyze business or financial data.
- Negotiate purchases or contracts.
- Gather information in order to provide services to clients.
- Purchase products or services.
Education
Interests
Enterprising
87%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Conventional
76%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Social
44%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Investigative
37%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Artistic
19%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Realistic
18%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Work Values
Achievement
74%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
74%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Independence
73%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Relationships
68%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Recognition
64%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
64%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.