Edward Jones Connection:
by Author Surname
At Edward Jones, our financial advisors come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, from banking and finance to sales and service. We know that building a diverse team of financial advisors is key to meeting our clients’ needs across the country. This week, we’re highlighting that diversity outside the workplace by showcasing our financial advisors’ unique skills and interests outside the office. We recently met with Chris Knott, one of our financial advisors in Fairbanks, Alaska, to learn how he discovered a rather chilly hobby.
Chris, we hear you have an interesting hobby. Tell us a little about it.
After college, I decided to take a year off before entering graduate school. Although I graduated with honors, I was feeling a little burned out. I needed to do something else for a little while. Around that time, I read a book on crossing Antarctica with sled dogs. I really liked the idea of being out in the wilderness alone with a team of dogs, so I contacted a friend of mine who owned a racing kennel in Alaska. Shortly after, I ended up moving there to train and race dogs.
Wow! What was that training regimen like?
It was incredible. I started in August with shorter runs to get the dogs in shape and used to the runs. As the miles got longer, the teams started to come together. The dogs start learning together and moving as one unit, not individuals. That’s when you know you’re ready to race.
It’s so rewarding to see all those months of training pay off. To form that bond with each dog and mold that into a team is an unbelievable feeling. It’s all based on one goal: to finish together. When you go out on a 100-mile race, the dogs know to trust you and to follow your direction, whether or not it’s the right move. On the other hand, I know to trust them. If we’re on thin ice and they veer from the course, I know they feel something I don’t and I have to trust their instinct.
So, shortly after moving there, you decided to stay in Fairbanks and started a practice with Edward Jones. Can you talk about that transition? How did you balance your racing hobby and growing a business in your community?
Well, I was engaged at the time and my wife wasn’t thrilled about marrying a dog trainer. It was the perfect time for me to go back to my experience in finance and start looking for a career that was right for me. I was interested in Edward Jones for the firm’s commitment to integrity and honesty.
At Edward Jones, I have found incredible support both for my hobby and my practice.
Edward Jones Connection:
by Author Surname
How does a former packaging engineer transition to a career in finance? Meet Alexander Kerford, a financial advisor at Edward Jones. We recently met up with Alexander to find out what shaped his decision to take a leap of faith with his new career.
Talk about your initial job search after leaving the engineering field. Were you searching for a short-term or long-term fit?
After leaving the engineering field, I bounced around a bit and ended up working in sales for a large hospitality company. That’s where I developed those crucial soft skills, such as being able to understand people and interpret their needs.
I think there’s a distinct difference between a job and a career. A job is something you do to pay the bills and provide support for yourself and your loved ones. A career is something that ultimately becomes a calling. And a calling is not short-term. It is something that you feel, believe and value through your work. During that job search, I was looking for my calling.
How did you find your calling?
I had a degree in mathematics that I wanted to put to good use and I knew I wanted to help people. I started looking at careers in financial services and I found that it was a great combination. As for Edward Jones, I had a working knowledge of the company since college, when I started investing with a local financial advisor. I loved how the company made me feel as an investor and I decided that I wanted to deliver that same experience on the other side of the desk.
We’re glad you made that decision. What other considerations did you make in your career search?
I considered places that I could spend the next 30 years of my life. It was important that I understood everything about the work and why it was relevant, so I made an effort to learn as much as I could about the company. I researched its traditions, its history, and its commitment to the communities it serves. The more I researched, the more I knew it was the place for me.
Having a company that aligns with my value and goals is also a massive bonus. During my job search, I put a heavy emphasis on work-life balance and Edward Jones made it clear that it supports financial advisors finding time to participate in activities that they enjoy.
What was the most important consideration?
People. People. And people. The reality for me is that a company could pay me a lot of money and have a ton of benefits and get all types of awards—but if it’s not built around good people, it’s not a good fit. Being paid and making a difference are important, but surrounding myself with the right people was paramount.
What was key to your success in preparing for a financial services career?
I had a strong desire to develop my current skillset and learn new ones. Having that level of ambition will take you a long way in any career you want to pursue. Adding in the company’s terrific training program, I was confident that I had everything I needed to succeed. It wasn’t always easy, to be honest. It’s scary to jump into an arena that you aren’t knowledgeable about, but if you’ve developed yourself in a way that you’re always be willing to learn, you’ll be successful.
Why is Edward Jones a great place to develop a career?
Even if you come from a different professional background, such as engineering, Edward Jones gives you the same opportunity as anyone else to be successful. People don’t look at you differently for needing help. You’re given the training, the tools and the confidence to start this new career journey and come out feeling fulfilled. There is no secret to success here—Edward Jones shares it with you.
Edward Jones Connection:
by Author Surname
With the new year comes the opportunity to make changes to boost your job satisfaction and reach your career potential. One way to reach that potential is by setting up a more productive workspace. Although a cubicle is a great way to collaborate and work alongside your colleagues, you may feel that you’ve earned the opportunity to work in your own space.
At Edward Jones, we agree. Our financial advisors operate from their own branch offices in the neighborhoods in which they serve. This arrangement offers many benefits, including:
Autonomy
You are trusted to set your schedule, build client relationships, provide exceptional service and be the leader of your branch office. You decide how to best service your clients and community.
Collaboration not competition
The branch office environment fosters collaboration between the financial advisor, branch office administrator who provides essential support services and other experts located in the home office. The focus is on serving clients with the full support of resources that Edward Jones provides. The only limitation is your own ambition.
Variety
No more monotony. Some days you may find yourself diligently working in the office, while other days you are out in the community getting to know your existing and potential clientele. The workday can be as interesting as you make it.
Ready to explore the Edward Jones Opportunity? Start here.
Edward Jones Connection:
by Author Surname
Successful sales professionals can leverage their diverse array of skills into a successful career as a Financial Advisor. Both career paths use similar relationship management techniques to meet the needs of clients and discover new opportunities to help them reach their goals through a portfolio of products and services. Consider how the following skills relate when deciding if a career in financial services is the right fit for you:
Top sales professionals are subject-matter experts.
In order to sell a product or service to a client, salespeople must speak intelligently and coherently about what that product is, how it works and the benefits to the consumer. Financial Advisors also develop a masterful understanding of their subject matter: their clients. They take the time to discover details about client lifestyles, wants and needs. This helps them recommend financial solutions that fit the clients’ needs.
The best sales people don’t sell – they listen.
Knowing about products and services helps, but it’s better to know your audience. Sales professionals discover new ways to satisfy consumers by simply taking the time to listen and evaluate what the customer is telling them. Financial Advisors are able to empathize with the client and apply solutions in each case based on an understanding of what the client is looking for.
Effective sales professionals make a habit of conducting themselves with a high level of integrity and honesty.
Ethics are at the core of their business practices and play a foundational role in building relationships with clients. Financial Advisors understand the role they play in some of their clients’ most important decisions.
“It’s a great source of pride as well as both personal and professional satisfaction,” says Edward Jones Financial Advisor Michele Olshanski. “It’s most rewarding when my clients actually get to retire or to send a child or grandchild to college because of what we have worked to accomplish together.”
The reality of transitioning from a career in sales to a new opportunity in financial services may be easier than you think. Both careers require adaptability, honesty and a high level of expertise in order to successfully meet and exceed the expectations of the client.
Copyright © 2022 Edward Jones.
Edward Jones does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veterans status, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or a similar law and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to applying for employment at our firm, please contact us at 1-866-788-4979. Qualified applicants with arrest and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, state and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.