I was just looking over the thread a bit closer and saw this post. At 100K a year you are in the upper 5% of household income in the US. Assuming you are not a trust fund kid, I think you need to seriously consider some type of financial counseling. I say this respectfully. I don't think your problem is Smith Barney or finding a high paying job. FWIW, I have the job you desire and if that were my quote, I think I would be pretty miserable as I would not have the significant savings I've built up over the years by living below my means.
I'm a former cboe trader (also searching for a new career) and several of my old co-workers have gone the financial advising route. They learned nothing and made nothing. These guys were truly miserable. I'm sure you'll be able to find some former FA's explain what the job is REALLY like. The fact that these positions are so easy to get is a huge warning.
Same here Ben, 35 y/o..been a sellside agency trader(glorified clerk)for 5 years. Things are getting loosy goosey and I have the feeling I should be looking around. I must have sent out 50 CV`s in the last 2 months..not one freakin response. The street is not hiring right now. I was a FA at Prudential before I worked in trading. You will hate the job..I sure did. I realized 2 months into it it was not for me(i.e lie and shove product down someones throat) and hung around to collect my paycheck until they told me to get lost.
Guys, You have been around trading professionals for several years, why did you not learn enough to trade your own money? This seems like a logical next step after you took those positions. redduke
I cannot speak for the others. But active trading and working sell side flow dont mesh...it is called a "conflict of interests" in regulatory legalese.