Getting licensed in the financial services industry can change the trajectory of your career in a matter of months. You can go from a dead-end job or feeling burnt out or undervalued to being an essential part of a team invested in you and passionate about helping people achieve their financial goals. All it takes is completing Fidelity’s self-paced, fully paid licensing training.
Key takeaways
- Fidelity’s entry-level call center positions give you a rewarding career with outstanding benefits.
- We’ll pay you to get your SIE, Series 7, and Series 63 licenses in our self-paced training program.
- Fidelity’s training program has five elements:
- Call center immersion: Get a sneak peek at what it’s like to work in a call center.
- Self-paced, personalized licensing training: Learn at your speed in the way that works best for you, whether it’s through reading, virtual workshops, videos, or more.
- Dedicated training and licensing support: Get one-on-one support from licensing experts as well as Fidelity’s “confidence brokers” (a.k.a. Onboarding Team Leaders).
- Practice quizzes and tests: Get hands-on practice with the exams so you can know exactly which topics you’ve got down and where you need extra attention.
- Test when it’s right for you: You won’t have to wait around or needlessly cram for the SIE, Series 7, or Series 63 exams. We have you test when you’ve got the best chance of passing.
- The licensing process can be challenging, but you’re more capable than you know—and we’re here to help every step of the way.
Fidelity believes in helping everyone we hire for our training program pass their licensing exams
Frank, Onboarding Team Leader
Chances are your experience as a student or skills gained from working in retail, hospitality, nursing, teaching, social work, and other past jobs will transfer to a role in finance even if you have zero financial experience or education. What matters most isn’t your existing financial knowledge but your dedication to helping people and your interest in learning.
When you’re licensed at Fidelity and working in one of our call centers, you’ll have work/life balance and the flexibility to plan your schedule in advance, including a set schedule, paid time off, student loan assistance, and generous parental leave. Our benefits meet you where you are in life, whether it’s fresh out of school, pivoting mid-career, or starting a family. Plus, our amenities offer best-in-class experiences, from healthy food options to on-site fitness. Starting out in a customer service role at Fidelity gets your foot in the door. And once you’re here, you can go down different career paths based on your interests and skills.
What you need to know about Fidelity’s licensing training program
Fidelity’s licensing training program is designed to tee you up for success from the start, beginning with hiring. “Fidelity believes in helping everyone we hire for our training program pass their licensing exams,” said Frank, Onboarding Team Leader. “We’re not trying to weed anyone out—the goal is to help everyone pass.”
It’s not just words. Employees who go through our licensing program feel Fidelity’s support. “Fidelity wants you to succeed—it’s as simple as that,” said Meagan, Customer Relationship Advocate. “They give you the tools you need to set yourself up for success, and it’s up to you to use them.”
Another Customer Relationship Advocate, Hollen, said, “You’re paid to study and to get licensed. I felt really supported through the entire process.”
Here’s how Fidelity’s licensing training program comes to life.
Fidelity call center immersion
Your first few days of training start in a Fidelity call center so you can shadow licensed Customer Relationship Advocates and get a feel for what your day-to-day experience will be once you get licensed.
This initial immersion program is a great way to also get a feel for your fellow Fidelity associates and our culture and facilities. And it’s an easy win before the official licensing training begins.
Self-paced, personalized licensing training
We structured our self-paced licensing training to be incredibly personalized based on your existing securities knowledge as well as your ideal learning style. While everyone starts in the same place on day one, everyone finishes the licensing training program when it’s best for them based on their ideal learning pace and testing timing.
“You don’t have to worry about getting a one-size-fits-all experience,” said Frank. “You can get specific, tailored support that’s important to you so you’re not wasting time.” This personalized, self-paced approach helps us allocate additional resources to trainees who will benefit from them the most while enabling those with finance experience to fast-track their licensing.
Our licensing training program lets you learn via the method that’s best for you, whether it’s through reading, course videos, virtual workshops, group meetings, one-on-one tutorials, or practice quizzes and/or tests. “With all these resources, it’s a lot easier than I could have ever expected,” said Hollen.
Dedicated training and licensing support
Fidelity gives you two dedicated training leaders to support you throughout your licensing training: a licensing lead and an onboarding team leader. “You always have somebody you can reach out to,” said Meagan.
Here’s how each one helps you on your journey.
- Licensing Lead: This person is your licensing guru. They help you understand the ins and outs of securities. They host interactive virtual workshops to help make the information more visual and engaging (maybe even fun!) and to explain concepts in layman’s terms. They’ll answer questions in a group setting or with you one on one.Licensing leads helped Hollen stay focused and inspired. “A lot of the licensing leads didn’t come from finance backgrounds,” said Hollen. “Seeing that they were able to teach this topic was very motivating. I knew everything was going to be OK for me.” Meagan said, “Having that licensing lead you can turn to absolutely made a difference.”
- Onboarding Team Leader: This is your go-to person for all things Fidelity and your training. Think of them as one part coach, one part cheerleader, and one part project manager or, as Frank likes to say, “a confidence broker.” They’ll help you stay accountable to your goals and on pace with your learning as well as with everything from requesting time off and becoming a pro at the Pomodoro method to figuring out how you might test.“I could not have been more grateful for my experience with my onboarding team leader,” said Meagan. “I genuinely attribute my success to having that person.”
Practice quizzes and tests
Exposure therapy can be a powerful tool for facing fear and overcoming anxiety, especially when it comes to licensing exams. That’s why we give you ample opportunity to get real-time feedback on your comprehension with practice tests and quizzes.
After each one, you get a score as well as feedback flagging knowledge areas you can work on. “It’s very metrics-based,” said Hollen. “There were pie charts, and it was very clear where your gaps were. The repetition was helpful as well. The format of the quizzes inspired me to do better and better and better.”
Take your SIE, Series 7, and Series 63 exams when it’s right for you
Some people have finance degrees or are more self-educated about securities when they first start. Our self-paced program means they can run through the program faster. For others making a career change, they have to learn a whole new language, which often takes longer.
Having the flexibility to test when it’s right for you means you aren’t twiddling your thumbs or rushing to test before you’re ready. You’re on the optimal schedule for you to pass.
“Our goal is to get you into the test at a time when you’re going to be the most confident and least burnt out,” said Frank. “The only way to do that is with self-pacing.”
Once you’re licensed, a world of opportunity opens for you. You could start in a call center and move to high net worth, or digital assets, or even a leadership role one day.
Fidelity wants you to succeed—it’s as simple as that.
Meagan, Customer Relationship Advocate
Why Hollen and Meagan got licensed and what their training experience was like
Discover what Fidelity’s self-paced training program was like for two Customer Relationship Advocates, Hollen and Meagan.
Hollen
Meagan
Q: How long their training took
2 months
5 months
Q: Why they got licensed at Fidelity
“I had a good job, but not a good career. There are so many places to go at Fidelity.”
“I wanted to work for a company that was going to invest in me what I invested in them. I was tired of working somewhere I was just a number.”
Q: How they felt at the beginning of licensing
“I knew how hard it was going to be when I was hired. I was like, ‘I’m fully prepared to take on a challenge.’”
“There was a lot of self-doubt, but licensing was the biggest leap I had ever taken in my life.”
Q: What their experience was like
“Being given all day to study was very effective. You can get a lot done in an eight-hour workday. I like to learn and really enjoy a challenge.”
“It’s immersive and fast-paced. You’re essentially eating, sleeping, and breathing the study material. I think that was why I was so successful.”
Q: What they learned about themselves
“I came out of licensing feeling more competent. I’m more outgoing than I ever realized.”
“I’m capable of so much more than I gave myself credit for. Even though at times it was scary, I passed all those exams. It’s a reminder that I belong here.”
Q: Their top tips for new licensing trainees
Take breaks
Go to the meetings
Connect with your peers
Pace over perfection
Practice, practice, practice
You get out what you put into it
Hollen
Meagan
How long their training took
Hollen: 2 months
Meagan: 5 months
Why they got licensed at Fidelity
Hollen: “I had a good job, but not a good career. There are so many places to go at Fidelity.”
Meagan: “I wanted to work for a company that was going to invest in me what I invested in them. I was tired of working somewhere I was just a number.”
How they felt at the beginning of licensing
Hollen: “I knew how hard it was going to be when I was hired. I was like, ‘I’m fully prepared to take on a challenge.’”
Meagan: “There was a lot of self-doubt, but licensing was the biggest leap I had ever taken in my life.”
What their experience was like
Hollen: “Being given all day to study was very effective. You can get a lot done in an eight-hour workday. I like to learn and really enjoy a challenge.”
Meagan: “It’s immersive and fast-paced. You’re essentially eating, sleeping, and breathing the study material. I think that was why I was so successful.”
What they learned about themselves
Hollen: “I came out of licensing feeling more competent. I’m more outgoing than I ever realized.”
Meagan: “I’m capable of so much more than I gave myself credit for. Even though at times it was scary, I passed all those exams. It’s a reminder that I belong here.”
Their top tips for new licensing trainees
Hollen:
Take breaks
Go to the meetings
Connect with your peers
Meagan:
Pace over perfection
Practice, practice, practice
You get out what you put into it
Winning licensee training strategies from a Fidelity onboarding team leader
Frank spends his entire workday helping licensees stay on track with their training. Here are his top tips.
- Confidence is key: “That your work is going to pay off with a passing score is the most important thing we can instill in people. We can almost always get someone where they need to be if they’re committed the whole time.”
- Trust the process: “Make the most of your eight hours a day. If you put in consistent, steady work, that helps us understand what your natural pace is so we can support you in the best way.”
- Reach out for help: “We need you to tell us when you need extra help so we can schedule workshops and get you extra support.”
- Don’t fall into the comparison trap: “Some people have more familiarity with finance, and others come from teaching English. They have to learn a whole new language. If you’re on an extreme fast or slow pace of a self-paced program, it can feel isolating.”
- We’re in this together: “It’s us together on a team against that test. We want people to get the result they deserve, which is a passing score.”
Find your Fidelity with an entry-level call center job
You owe it to yourself and your future to find a rewarding career at a company that values and invests in you from day one. Discover what it feels like to be surrounded by people who believe in you and bring out your best.
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