From an external press release:

The job market is flooded with financial resumes. There are simply not enough positions coming available anytime soon to stem the mass exodus of jobs. That is unless you are a woman that is interested in becoming a Financial Advisor.

Finding positions or specialties in high demand in the financial sector these days is difficult. Bloomberg is reporting that job cuts by banks and securities firms have reached 120,910 since July 2007.

But qualified women interested in becoming a financial advisor is a hot commodity.

“If you are a qualified woman with a desire to help people retain, grow and help manage their wealth then financial firms are eager to speak with you,” says RJ & Makay Director Cindy Waliczek. “There is a big demand for women advisors. The demand far exceeds the supply right now.”

RJ & Makay is a financial recruiting firm exclusively servicing the financial sector. About half of the financial firms in the Fortune Top 100 utilize RJ & Makay for various recruiting and consulting services.

Waliczek says, “My division’s sole responsibility is helping people who are not financial advisors become one. I have a team of 48 recruiters and researchers of which 72% happen to be women and we still can’t fill all of the demand for women FAs our clients will hire.”

Even with a consolidation of financial firms and the current evolving financial industry environment many brokerage firms are aggressively hiring women financial advisors.

Waliczek explains, “Only 20% of financial advisors are women. 60% of the wealth in the U.S., will be controlled by women by 2010. Add to this that most women prefer to work with woman advisors and you have a perfect storm of opportunities for women.”

RJ & Makay CEO Darin Manis adds, “Financial firms need more women advisors. They know this. They are all trying to increase their head count in this regard. There is intense competition. The financial firm that can win the talent wars for the best women advisors will have a critical competitive advantage in gathering assets now and even more so in the future.”

“Being a financial advisor is not for everybody,” says Waliczek. “This is a relationship business and it is about helping clients manage their assets. You have to go get those clients before you can start helping them. In the first few years of being a financial advisor, sales is a big part of this. Not everyone is comfortable with building a client base. It’s a lot of hard work.”

Although building a client base is hard work in any industry it is especially lucrative in the financial services industry. Waliczek adds, “The average women financial advisors at the firms we represent make six figures, have a great benefits package and take great vacations. After the first few years of growing pains it is a great career that offers a lot of flexibility, freedom and rewards.”

There are several different kinds of advisor roles women can get into in the financial services industry.  The financial advisor roles that offer the most income potential are those offered by broker dealers. For these kinds of firms securities licenses such as the Series 7 and Series 66 are required as well as the Life and Health license.

If a woman already has their securities licenses then it makes them even all the more desirable because they bypass all of the initial licensing training stage.

The licensing period usually takes a few months of studying and the financial advisor trainee receives a salary during this licensing initial stage. Although these eventually become commission positions most firms will offer a salary and training for a year or two until the advisor is on their feet.

Women have choices. Although most of the banks, brokerages and wire houses are trying to increase the percentage of their women advisors they each offer different programs and opportunities. Options should be evaluated carefully. There are many recruiting firms and career consulting firms that will share information about financial advisor choices for free. Companies or recruiting firms that try to charge women for advice in becoming a financial advisor should be treated with the utmost caution.

“At no charge we walk women through the different options out there and give advice and insight. All of the financial advisor trainee positions represented by RJ & Makay clients offer women a competitive salary, benefits such as health insurance, commissions, bonuses and training,” says Waliczek. “If you are a woman that is sharp, relationship driven and willing to follow a proven formula for success then there are financial firms that will teach you and train you on everything you need to know.”

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