Qualifications

Qualifications

Minimum of a bachelor's degree, but an MBA or completion of a professional certification program is essential if you wish to excel (and we're sure you do). Before qualifying as a registered representative, you'll most likely first need to be employed by a firm that's registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA—yeah, we noticed they slipped an extra "N" in there, too), and pass a long, difficult exam known as the Series 7 Exam.

At least it's multiple choice. Try not to fill in too many "C"s in a row. That can't be right.

There are additional exams that can be taken and certifications that can be obtained to make yourself more desirable to a potential employer and improve your standing in the industry. This isn't a career path for those who want to crank out their four years of undergrad and be done with it. Those people are called "actors." (Some actors may be reading this right now and scoffing at the idea of spending a full four years in college.)