How to make a career change from retail or hospitality to financial services with Fidelity

Are you feeling stuck in your retail or hospitality career?

If you’re working in retail and hospitality and feeling over it, you’re not alone. You might dread going into work or feel underappreciated and overworked by either your boss or customers. You might not have the stamina for the long hours or unrealistic expectations.

Maybe you’ve tried looking for a new career in a different industry or don’t know where to start. Maybe you’re not sure how to leave, or you feel too old to start over.

Why you should transition from retail or hospitality to finance at Fidelity

Here’s what’s certain: you have in-demand skills, you deserve to be valued, and there are companies who are looking for someone just like you. Because working in a restaurant or retail prepares you for anything.

At Fidelity, we know how critical customer service skills are in finance. We want associates who know how to help people with compassion and integrity. Your transferable skills for finance jobs—emotional intelligence, active listening, clear communication, problem-solving—are essential to our mission of helping people achieve their most important financial goals.

We’ll not only teach you what you need to know on the financial side to get licensed, but we’ll pay for it too, with our fully funded financial-services training programs. It’s possible to change careers from retail or hospitality with an entry-level finance role.

Five reasons retail and hospitality workers should make a career change at Fidelity

There are a lot more than 5 reasons why you should transition from retail or hospitality to finance jobs at Fidelity, but we know your time is limited, so we’ll keep it short.

1. Flexibility
   One of the most challenging parts of working in retail and hospitality is not always having a predictable schedule . One day you work open to close and the next two you close then open. It wreaks havoc on your sleep and your social life.At Fidelity, you’ll have a predictable schedule and hours, so you’ll have the flexibility you want outside of work to spend time with friends and family or pursuing other activities.If your position offers a hybrid work environment, you’ll have the best of both worlds. You’ll experience the camaraderie and energy of working in the office as well as the flexibility and ease of working from home. You’ll have a minimum of 4 weeks of paid time off each year, so you can take a vacation, focus on your health, or have a personal day when you need it. If you are expecting a child, you could have up to 16 weeks of maternity or 12 weeks of paternity leave.(Benefits are subject to change. Terms and conditions apply to all benefit programs.)

2. Career development and growth
   When you join Fidelity as a customer service associate, you have two options. You can choose the Financial Customer Associate path, which does not require licensing, or you can choose to get licensed.If you chose to get licensed, you start a financial-services training program that helps you earn your SIE and Series 7 and 63 licensing in less than 4 months. We provide group and individual study plans and ongoing coaching, mentorship, and sponsorship to help you level up your financial and interpersonal skills.Here are quick definitions of each term.
   • Coaching gives you skills-specific feedback. This can come from a manager or peer. In customer service, it could be a helpful pointer about how to better explain a Fidelity product or feedback about mirroring back what you heard from a customer to ensure you fully understand their goal.
   • Mentorship is more formal from someone who can guide you in your career and at Fidelity. A mentor can help you understand what additional training to pursue or which career path to explore.
   • Advocacy is when another person champions you to others to help advance your career. An advocate could recommend you to a hiring manager or talk up your contributions to another team.
   Fidelity knows that your skills and interests might change over time. That’s why we empower your future. You can start out as a customer service associate and then transition into another department or role depending on what interests you.

3. Your health and well-being

   Life can be stressful. We know that for our associates to show up as their best selves they need the resources and support to take care of their physical, mental and emotional health.That’s why we invest so heavily in employee benefits that contribute to your overall health and well-being:
   • Medical, dental, vision and prescription drug insurance, so you have the coverage you need to feel your best.
   • On-site health centers to make scheduling simple and convenient.
   • No-cost mental-health benefits, so you have the support you need to deal with life’s ups and downs.
   • Personal concierge services to help you get your home to-do and wish lists done, whether it’s buying a special gift or planning a dream vacation.

   Read more about Fidelity’s benefits that meet you where you are in life here.

4. Financial stability
   As a financial services company, we know that financial stability is a bedrock for achieving your dreams, whether it’s to start or grow your family, own a home, retire comfortably, or finally take that trip you’ve always wanted to take.We help our employees achieve financial stability just like we do our customers. Here’s how:
   • Competitive compensation for your valuable skills and contributions.
   • Annual profit sharing, which allows you to reap the rewards you helped to create.*
   • Student loan assistance to help you pay down your debts faster.
   • Employee discounts to help you save on everyday goods and services at more than 100 partner companies.
   • Retirement planning to help you save for your future, including a 401(k) match and catch-up retirement contributions for those aged 50 and older.
5. Meaningful work
   Imagine having a job that helps people take control of their financial well-being and accomplish their goals. That’s a career that helps people transform their lives for the better.Now imagine that your employer’s core values align with your own. That they act with responsibility, integrity, compassion, and expertise in everything they do.Add to that image that this employer is dedicated to positive change, diversity, and inclusion. That they create a courteous, safe and welcoming environment. That they provide a Hospitality Hub for whatever hiccups interrupt your day, whether it’s an extra headset or help reserving a meeting room.

Get ready to Find your Fidelity with an entry-level finance role

You can leverage your retail or hospitality skills for a new career in financial services at Fidelity. We’re looking for people just like you, with customer service skills that will transfer to our industry.

The skills you’ve spent so long building, like emotional intelligence, active listening, clear communication, and problem-solving, are essential in the financial services industry and for Fidelity. Learn how you can take a skills-based approach to getting hired here.

We know you’re valuable and can offer you the flexibility, career growth, health and well-being benefits, financial stability, and meaning you want.