Why Fidelity’s self-paced, paid licensing training program is your best path to a career in finance

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.”

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.

Your Licensing Lead 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.”

Your Onboarding Team Leader 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.