Vinh-Hop Ngo

CNS 220
11/16/15

Informational Interview Summary #2

I interviewed Jason McCarty, who currently works as a financial advisor with the Jordan
Group at Morgan Stanley. He joined the Jordan Group in 2008. Upon graduating from Wake
Forest as an Economics major and International Studies minor in 2007, he worked as a research
analyst at Strategic Wealth Management and then at GE Commercial Finance, before taking up
his current position at Morgan Stanley.
A typical day on the job requires long hours. Jason starts work early in the morning and
doesnt get off until nighttime. He said that in his first few years on the job, he spent at least half
of his days developing a referral network or visiting prospects in person. The prospecting aspect
of financial advising is crucial to generating business; Jason also has established a strong digital
presence in order to broaden his network. Once he built up his book of business, Jasons focus
shifted from acquiring new business to servicing his current customers. He reviewed client
portfolios, answered client inquiries and addressed outstanding issues before moving on to new
business. He says that this is the best way to generate new business because clients who receive
great service are the ones who will make the most referrals. Then, there are administrative chores
such as dealing with bureaucratic tasks like compliance reports, updating client records,
processing trade tickets, and dealing with other recordkeeping procedures. He emphasizes that
attention to detail is the key to success in this job.
The Jordan Group at Morgan Stanley, which is the group Jason is a part of, consists of 6
members: an executive director, Jordan, whom the group is named after, a senior vice president,
a financial advisor, an assistant vice president, and a portfolio associate. This team works
together to consult clients on their investments. Jason says he likes that once he has a set group
of clients, his workweek does not necessarily have to be exactly 40 hours. He has the flexibility
to schedule client meetings around his personal time if he wishes. Also, he likes that there is no
limit on earning potential. The better work he does and the more clients he attracts, the more
money he makes. It makes him hopeful because he always has something to look forward to.
Jason did not attend graduate school and he says it isnt necessary for his current position.
However, the people who work above him all went to graduate school, so he thinks that he might
have to as well, if he wants to climb up the ladder faster.
This career is a little different from what I imagined because I never really knew what
this field was. But after getting information from someone who works in this field, I can get a
better understanding of what consulting/financial advising is. I dont think this would be the best
fit for me, just because Im not the kind of person who likes to develop networks as a job, if
that makes any sense. I feel a little uncomfortable doing that. Other than that, one of my skills is
paying attention to detail and this job really requires a lot of detail. One thing that I dont think I

would like about consulting is the office work. I would prefer a career that would give me more
flexibility and independence and not have to sit in the office all day. I just cant sit in one place
for too long. Although financial advisor at Morgan Stanley sounds very appealing, I dont think I
personally would like to work as one.