Is there any way to pay for Sponsorship for 9/10?

J

JamesOptions

Hello everyone,

I’ve been trading for the better part of a decade. Successful, profitable etc. and have been trying to make a career change for my w2 work to align with trading / finance industry.

I sought out a brokerage job with one of the major brokerage firms to get my foot in the door - it sucked; absolutely nothing to do with trading, pure customer service and I could count on one hand how many times I did anything investing / trade related... it was all customer service, money movement, or transfering to another department.

I got my SIE, 3,7,34 & 66 in the span of ~2 months. All test were ridiculously easy. After their 6 months of “training” that I could have done in a week, and about 3 months actually on the floor I quit. I couldn’t stand the role / not the best use of my time; prior to career change I was a Director of Operations.

I networked a lot while I was at the firm and made some connections with managers on the institutional trading side.

I’ve since applied to 2 roles and both times I wasn’t selected and the managers were candid enough to tell me I was a finalist both times but it came down to me not having the 9/10 licenses both times. Compliance item for the role.

I’ve passed every test in college / professional cert I’ve ever sat for and just want to know if there’s any way I can get sponsorship to sit for these tests without having to work in a customer service role for years? I offered to join the firm as an unpaid intern if they would sponsor me and that I would even cover all costs just to get the licenses- still no.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
If this is the wrong forum, I apologize and will happily move.

James
 
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The Series 9 and 10 exams are labeled as "General Securities Sales Supervisor Qualification Exams". I don't mean to be critical, but do you consider yourself qualified to be a supervisor with hardly any experience? Would you sponsor someone like that yourself? I think you should make good use of the existing licenses that you have, like S7, to build a track record first.

Lastly, if you absolutely hated "pure customer service", why the hell do you wanna become a sales supervisor? I just don't get it.
 
Hi Schizo,

I have supervised plently of people in my career as a Director and have done a lot of work on organizational management, psychology, blah blah blah... so yes I do consider myself qualified.

Anyway, the issue is that its purely a compliance requirement for the role I want as Institutional Trader. It's not a supervisory role, its not sales, its just a salaried position and the firm requires those licenses.

The hiring manager even said the role used to not require them when it was hourly, and that the licenses have 0 alignment with the role, its purely the pay scale / level (big corporate brokerage).
 
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JamesOptions said:
Hi Schizo,

I have supervised plently of people in my career as a Director and have done a lot of work on organizational management, psychology, blah blah blah... so yes I do consider myself qualified.

Anyway, the issue is that its more of a comliance requirement for the role I want as Institutional Trader. It's not a supervisory role, its not sales, its just a salaried position and the firm requires those licenses.

The hiring manager even said the licenses have 0 alignment with the role, its purely the pay scale / level (big corporate brokerage).
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The firm should sponsor you.

I don't think you can hold a Series 7, 9, 10, or any other level without a FINRA firm sponsoring you.

If you are so awesome and profitable, why are you applying to brokerage firms instead of prop firms?
 
newwurldmn said:
The firm should sponsor you.

I don't think you can hold a Series 7, 9, 10, or any other level without a FINRA firm sponsoring you.

If you are so awesome and profitable, why are you applying to brokerage firms instead of prop firms?
More...

Wouldn't call myself 'awesome,' profitable yes, not a 7 figure trader by any means, but I support myself from it.

I want to re-engage with like minded colleagues. Trading is a boring and lonely life IMO, and it juse doesn't fulfill me (socializing, shared values, collaborating, service etc).
 
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JamesOptions said:
Wouldn't call myself 'awesome,' profitable yes, not a 7 figure trader by any means, but I support myself from it.

I want to re-engage with like minded colleagues. Trading is a boring and lonely life IMO, and it juse doesn't fulfill me (socializing, shared values, collaborating, service etc).
More...

a brokerage is completely different from trading. Most of the guys I deal with failed at being a trader.
 
newwurldmn said:
a brokerage is completely different from trading. Most of the guys I deal with failed at being a trader.
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Oh I agree... I spent a good amount of time networking on the retail side of the brokerage and i wouldn't even consider any of those roles as finance / investing / trading etc. they're all pure customer service and it shows.

The institutional side was drastically different... When I shaddowed with them, people understood markets better; their entire day was placing trades, allocations, settlement etc. Still not prop trading I totally understand that, but at least you're looking at charts making decisions, getting best fills for clients etc. collaborating
 
JamesOptions said:
Oh I agree... I spent a good amount of time networking on the retail side of the brokerage and i wouldn't even consider any of those roles as finance / investing / trading etc. they're all pure customer service and it shows.

The institutional side was drastically different... When I shaddowed with them, people understood markets better; their entire day was placing trades, allocations, settlement etc. Still not prop trading I totally understand that, but at least you're looking at charts making decisions, getting best fills for clients etc. collaborating
More...

I never thought highly of IDB's. Some of them were my friends, but most couldn't tell you the difference between a call and a put. (i'm not exaggerating).
 
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