Sales Agents, Securities and Commodities

Career Description: Buy and sell securities in investment and trading firms and develop and implement financial plans for individuals, businesses, and organizations.

Industry: Sales and Related

Other Job Titles for Sales Agents, Securities and Commodities:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Complete sales order tickets and submit for processing of client-requested transactions.
• Interview clients to determine clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives.
• Record transactions accurately, and keep clients informed about transactions.
• Develop financial plans based on analysis of clients' financial status, and discuss financial options with clients.
• Review all securities transactions to ensure accuracy of information and conformance to governing agency regulations.
• Offer advice on the purchase or sale of particular securities.
• Relay buy or sell orders to securities exchanges or to firm trading departments.
• Identify potential clients, using advertising campaigns, mailing lists, and personal contacts.
• Review financial periodicals, stock and bond reports, business publications, and other material to identify potential investments for clients and to keep abreast of trends affecting market conditions.
• Contact prospective customers to determine customer needs, present information, and explain available services.
• Prepare documents needed to implement plans selected by clients.
• Analyze market conditions to determine optimum times to execute securities transactions.
• Explain stock market terms and trading practices to clients.
• Inform and advise concerned parties regarding fluctuations and securities transactions affecting plans or accounts.
• Calculate costs for billings and commissions.
• Supply the latest price quotes on any security, as well as information on the activities and financial positions of the corporations issuing these securities.
• Prepare financial reports to monitor client or corporate finances.
• Read corporate reports and calculate ratios to determine best prospects for profit on stock purchases and to monitor client accounts.
• Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental.
• Sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise.
• Estimate and quote trade-in allowances.
• Estimate cost of repair or alteration of merchandise.
• Estimate quantity and cost of merchandise required, such as paint or floor covering.
• Rent merchandise to customers.
• Visit properties to assess them before showing them to clients.
• Contact utility companies for service hookups to clients' property.
• Conduct seminars and training sessions for sales agents to improve sales techniques.
• Appraise properties to determine loan values.
• Solicit and compile listings of available rental properties.
• Secure construction or purchase financing with own firm or mortgage company.
• Rent or lease properties on behalf of clients.
• Locate and appraise undeveloped areas for building sites, based on evaluations of area market conditions.

Emerging Tasks

• Assist customers, such as responding to customer complaints and updating them about back ordered parts.
• Fill customer orders from stock and place orders when requested items are out of stock.
• Locate and label parts and maintain inventory of stock.
• Maintain and clean work and inventory areas.
• Research shipping methods and costs, track packages, and pick up and deliver parts.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: 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.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• access media advertising services
• advise clients on financial matters
• advise clients or customers
• analyze applicant's financial status
• analyze financial data
• analyze market conditions
• analyze sales activities or trends
• analyze social or economic data
• answer customer or public inquiries
• collect payment
• complete information on loan forms
• compute financial data
• compute taxes
• conduct sales presentations
• ensure correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling
• evaluate degree of financial risk
• evaluate product quality for sales activities
• follow contract, property, or insurance laws
• inform clients of fluctuations affecting account
• interview customers
• learn trends in world trade
• maintain account records
• maintain cooperative relationships with clients
• maintain records, reports, or files
• maintain telephone logs
• make decisions
• make presentations
• monitor credit extension decisions
• motivate people
• obtain information from individuals
• prepare list of prospective customers
• prepare reports
• provide customer service
• reconcile or balance financial records
• sell products or services
• sell securities services
• solicit orders from established or new customers
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use government regulations
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use knowledge of economic trends
• use knowledge of written communication in sales work
• use marketing techniques
• use public speaking techniques
• use sales techniques
• use spreadsheet software
• verify bank or financial transactions
• write business correspondence

Overall Experience
A minimum of two to four years 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.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education
Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, human resource managers, computer programmers, teachers, chemists, and police detectives.

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• Projected growth (2006-2016): 24.84%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 79,488
• Employment (2006): 319,943

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