New Financial Representative Job, NW Mutual - Page 3

yeah... skip the walnut. all black would be fine too (I'm up to 5 pairs of black AEs). they go with any suit - at least in Des Moines, Iowa. Probabaly not so much in bigger cities.

This entire thread is helpful for two reasons:

1) There's some decent style advice;
2) It will help teach you not to listen to anyone about your career choice, because they have no idea what they're talking about. Northwestern Mutual is one of the most respected companies in the world -- anyone that tells you otherwise is ignorant.

As a young(er) Northwestern rep myself, I think I can speak to some of your questions. Definitely don't go cheap on the shoes. Even if money is tight, a good pair of shoes will last longer and make the rest of your clothes look more expensive. Second, get everything properly tailored. Again, this can really make a less than pricey suit look more stylish. After that, get some durable clothing. Sure, you may want to eventually have custom shirts and MTM/bespoke suits, but seeing as how much you'll be traveling early on, there's no shame in Brooks Brothers no-iron, etc.

Be overdressed rather than underdressed. At 22, you'll want to look as old and experienced as possible and underdressed certainly won't accomplish that.

Then, once you have all that down, briefly forget about this forum. This business is hard enough on its own -- don't complicate it by getting bogged down in style details. Work your ass off and succeed. Then, once you've securely made it, you can go back and start building a real wardrobe.

^^ pretty good advice.  I too work in the financial services industry (for a competitor of NWM), and have for 11 years now - through part of undergrad, law school and a number of years since. 

 

Always overdress rather than underdress.  This will also help you look older.

Dress conservatively - this will help you look older too.

Dress as well as you can (but not trendy).  Good choice on the AEs.  Regarding your shirt question, stick to blue or white shirts, french cuffs and/or pocket squares are OK for most client meetings, but may be overkill for others.  Get a number of nicer suits that fit you well and a few pair of decent shoes. 

 

I also like the advice to forget about this forum and spend most of your waking hours learning about your products and competitors' products, and how to sell what you have to offer. 

Wow, no bias there right?

NW Mutual is fine, but well respected doesn't sell products...reps do. And in my opinion, people who can sell are born not made. You either have the knack for it, or you don't.

You can work as hard as you want, but if you don't have the talent of salesmanship, you may be better served elsewhere.

Finally, the vast majority of series 6 representatives are not financially successfully. For every one guy you hear about who makes $300k, you have thousands just trying to cover their bills for the month.

Best of Luck OP...its a tough business, but you know that.

Nope. Fortune's World Most Admired Companies

Nobody will try to say a AA+ company isn't solid, but I'd invite you to share the turnover ratios of their new reps. Bottom line is it's a cattle call hiring environment. They throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see what sticks. Don't make it sound like you work for Goldman Sachs.

$50 for two pair of brand new, unworn AEs in your size? That's about as good as it gets. You should go buy a lottery ticket.

I'm honestly curious though...how does one forget about $650 (+tax) worth of shoes?

You guys really know how to crush a person's soul, huh?

Good for you for taking a job to pay the bills. We've all done it. I wouldn't purchase a large wardrobe for this job. You won't be there long.

Very solid advice.
I dress many new and established financial representatives, including some of the country's top producers from NWM, Wells Fargo, Merrrill, etc.
Also don't listen to the criticism of your career choice or company you work for, this is a forum about clothing.
The best advice I can give is start a relationship with a quality clothier, take their advice, work hard, have fun and the money will come.

I was making a general business comment. You should know your clients. Obviously you might not know what they look like or wear when you first meet them, hence the suits. if you get some very casual folks, you can dumb it down to blazers and ties later.

Congrats and best of luck to you in your new position.

As you know and others have mentioned, there is considerable turnover for the first few months in this job. My brother worked for NWM for several years; he started with about 12 other "reps" and was the only one remaining after three months. I don't doubt that you will be one of the ones who makes it. But on the off-chance that you aren't, I'd hate for you to completely revamp your wardrobe for a short-term job. If you have the means, I think a solid navy or charcoal suit would serve you well in this job; or, if you ended up doing something else, there are always occasions in which a solid navy or charcoal suit will work. If you've got 3 or 4 plain white or plain light blue dress shirts, you've got enough to get yourself started. You can either wash/iron them yourself or take them to the cleaners every few days without taking on the expense of new shirts.

It sounds like you've got a good start on a work wardrobe. Very nice score on the $25 new Allen Edmonds. You've been given good advice with regard to white, light blue, and conservative patterns of white and light blue for dress shirts and conservative ties. The soporific tie and the CBD WAYWRN: An Experiment threads would be good places to look for what's appropriate.

Personally, I'd stay away from French cuffs. I think they give off a bit of a showy vibe, which is fine in some instances, but maybe not for a 22-year old financial advisor.