To attain the position of a brokerage clerk, you do not necessarily need post-secondary education if the broker is willing to provide you with training on the job. However, in most cases, you do need to complete either a two or four-year college or degree program to obtain this type of work in the administrative field. Since you will be deal with financial matters, post-secondary education in accounting or a related field would be the logical choice. Even with these qualifications, you will still need on the job training, training in computer skills and perhaps telephone etiquette.
Knowledge of the process of buying and selling stocks and bonds is essential in the position of brokerage clerk. You will deal with clients and assist them in ways of investing their money so that they make a profit from their investments. Within the field of brokerage, there are several types of clerk positions. As a purchase and sale clerk your job will be to match requests to buy stocks in a particular commodity with those requests from clients wishing to sell the stocks they own. The job of dividend clerk involves the task of making payments of stock or cash dividends to clients in a timely manner. Finally as a receive and deliver clerk, you will be responsible for the receipt and delivery of securities to the appropriate clients, which are usually firms and institutions.
Although you do not need a license to become a brokerage clerk, having a certificate will improve you chances of being hired by making you more competitive with other applicants. With a license you will have the certification necessary to act as a representative of the firm. To obtain this certificate you must pass the General Securities Registered Representative Exam, which is administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. You can also study while working to obtain certification as a broker.
In order to do well as a brokerage clerk, you must have a strong ability for paying attention to details. With the increase in people investing in all aspects of the stock market the job market for this type of position is expected to increase dramatically in the next few years. If you can operate efficiently in a nosy environment where there is constant activity, you would do well working on the trading floor. You must be able to adapt to changing situations very quickly as this is how the brokerage business works. It is a very fast-paced environment.
