Chances of student getting hired at brokerage firm?

Question

I am a college student majoring in econ. I want to work for a brokerage firm like Morgan Stanley, UBS, Merrill Lynch, etc. part time while I go to school as this is what I am interested in doing after graduation.

Now, is there even a chance for me to get hired as an intern or something at my local branch? Is there even a position for someone like me with no experience. Will I get laughed out of there?

Answer 1

Depends.

A Freshman from Slacker State won't even be able to convince people to bother looking at their resume.

A Junior from a respectable school can get something, though.  Talk to your professors and career service people, and spread the word that you're looking.

If you don't have connections or experience, though, I would recommend looking beyond the BB's.  You might do well to start with a local boutique with connections to your school, or a strong mid-market if your GPA and recommendations are good.

Your sole mission from day 1 is to convince your boss to let you sit for some NASD licenses.  If you can get a Series 7 and a Series 65 or something like that, you'll be more attractive to your next employer.