High School

You’ll need strong communication skills and the ability to use database and customer relationship management software to have a successful career in customer service, so take classes in English, speech, and computer science. Other recommended courses include marketing, business, economics, accounting, mathematics, psychology, history, and social studies. Finally, take a foreign language such as Spanish because CSRs who are multilingual often have improved job prospects.

Postsecondary Education

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is needed for most jobs, but some mutual fund companies hire applicants who have a combination of some postsecondary education and customer service experience, and then train them on the job. Customer service representatives have degrees in a variety of areas including communications, English, public relations, marketing, finance, accounting, and business.

Certification

Some colleges and universities provide certificates in customer service, public relations, and related fields. Contact schools in your area to learn what opportunities are available.

Other Education or Training

The National Customer Service Association offers online courses that help customer service representatives keep their skills up to date. Recent classes included Living Service Excellence, Mastering Effective Communication, and Understanding Customer Behavior. The Customer Service Institute of America and SOCAP International also provide continuing education opportunities. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

The Customer Service Institute of America offers the certified customer service manager and certified customer experience professional credentials. The National Customer Service Association offers the certified customer service professional, direct contact service professional, and other certification credentials. Applicants must complete coursework and meet other requirements. Certification may be required if customer service representatives work in financial services or the insurance industry.

Customer service representatives are typically required to have their Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) credentials from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the self-regulatory arm of the investment industry. Other firms hire CSRs who do not have these credentials, but require them to earn them within three to six months of being hired.

Some companies hire customer service representatives with little or no experience and train them on the job, but many firms prefer to hire those with one to two years of financial and/or customer service experience.

To be a successful CSR, you’ll need excellent organizational, time-management, analytical, marketing, and written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills; the ability to multitask; a strong work ethic; confidence and a persuasive personality; patience and good listening skills; the ability to work in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment; good problem-solving ability; a thorough understanding of mutual funds, securities pricing, account registrations, and Securities & Exchange Commission/Financial Industry Regulatory Authority guidelines and regulations; and skill at using Microsoft Office (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint) and customer relationship management software.