Employment at CommSec

[watsonc]

Hi everyone,
I have an interview with commsec sometime this week for a call centre position in their client service area. I'm not too keen as this job involves purely talking all day on the phone.
I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a start in stockbroking, but is there a better way than this???

Anyone on this forum currently working or has worked at Commsec? (Or a call centre for sharemarket clients)
How was the interview? Are there any other employment screenings and tests that I will need to undertake before I get the position???

Thx

 

[dj_420]

surely the best way would be to get a finance/commerce degree from university.

that is if you want to get into analysts/forecasting/advisors sort of roles. or if you already have a degree do a masters in finance.

 

[watsonc]

I have a Commerce degree, but didnt major in finance. Majors were HR/marketing. Thinking about enrolling in the financial market diploma through finsia however.

 

[son of baglimit]

on a different field - consider doing the same except at the ATO - very beneficial personally to know everything you can about tax - and the ato call centre is probably the best paid around.

especially if u dont have the drive or ability for a degree

 

[Freeballinginawetsuit]

I will probably get you on the phone one day Watson, Comsec have always been good to deal with IMO, would be a pretty boring job though,
(I imagine ).

If you don't mind me asking, whats with the desire to become a broker or more to the point, what do you find appealing about this as a career choice?.

 

[SevenFX]

I will probably get you on the phone one day Watson

Freeballinginawetsuit nearly got your name right Watsonc :

Why would one ever go back to a job, when the market is waiting for you. All you have to do is be ready for the market.

You're one step closer, every time you try again.

Cheers
SevenFX

 

[watsonc]

Ideally, I would like to get into more of an analyst role. Comsec just seemed like a logical entry level place to start.

 

[dj_420]

id be looking at graduate positions for the finance sector, you can then identify better entry level positions that are more suited to the field of work you want to get into.

go to seek and do search on graduate positions in the finance area.

 

[watsonc]

Yeah been looking on SEEK and MyCareer, applied to a few fund management roles which were entry level. Most of the roles are all call centre based. I would much rather just work in a back office doing CHESS operations or something. I'm just after experience in finance for a couple of years while I study.

 

[dhukka]

Yeah been looking on SEEK and MyCareer, applied to a few fund management roles which were entry level. Most of the roles are all call centre based. I would much rather just work in a back office doing CHESS operations or something. I'm just after experience in finance for a couple of years while I study.

watsonc, I graduated in 95 with a BA.Business/Accounting. Had two accounting jobs in the Sydney CBD over a period of 2 years. Accounting bored the crap out of me - at the same time I was dabbling in shares and got interested in the stock market. I took a pay cut to get in at the ground floor in a mid-sized broking firm as a data research assistant towards the end of 97. It was a **** kicking job but it was absolutely fantastic to gain exposure to the research side of broking.

It was my job to send all analyst forecast and historical data to fund managers. This meant I had to go into their models and get the figures. I got to see how analysts modelled everything from resource companies to retailers, banks and insurers. Patience finally paid off when I was made an assistant analyst in early 2000. By 2001 I was writing and publishing research on banks with a senior analyst and independently covering a couple of stocks by myself. I left the game at the end of Sep 2001.

It is possible, I put my name down with a couple of recruitment agencies that specialized in broking/funds management placements. You see jobs in the papers every now and then for trainee analysts but unless you have an MA in finance you won't get a look in. I did it the hard way but if you have the patience it can pay off. IMO I can't imagine call centre staff at Comsec would receive the kind of exposure and experience that those looking to recruit analysts are looking for.