Pros
Where to start? You create your own business. Select which clients you want to work with, set your own schedule, hire in your own assistant and run your office as you please. Edward Jones places a high degree of trust and competence in it's people and I love the largely independent nature of the work. Edward Jones sponsored me for all training and SEC exams and paid for my CFP. I can call and get great support from a dedicated home office team. It's a company that says it puts people and families first - and I was a client of Edward Jones before becoming an advisor and I can say from both sides of the spectrum this is absolutely true. As long as I am meeting or exceeding set standards, I get two trips almost anywhere in the world from Edward Jones. I'm working towards creating a profitable branch and will earn partnership. I really like the other Financial Advisors in my region and I am not in competition with any of them (Edward Jones is NOT publicly traded). The culture has remained rock solid and true to its roots for a century. I'm sure I'll think of 10 more things after I post, but honestly being a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones was one of the best decisions of my working career and I am eternally grateful. Well earned distinction of best place to work - and consistently ranked one of the best places for women.
Cons
The first few years in this industry are hard - not just at Jones, but anywhere. Expect 3-5 years of HARD grind before you can step back and start to admire your work. You will build your book from scratch (see door knocking) . Working in Financial services, welcome to a bureaucratic black hole where everything takes 3x longer than it should because of regulations (again, not really a Jones thing, but more of an industry thing). Penny (the new CEO) sure has shaken things up for the better, but at 'home office' the 50-something White male still are far far FAR overrepresented in the General Partnership ranks. I've met more dudes named 'Ken' as General Partner at home office than people of color. That is changing and I can tell 10-15 years from now this will be different. I will say Jones is taking the diversity and inclusion piece seriously - because they understand that it's a competitive advantage. You'll receive a lot of support, but Edward Jones Financial Advisors are entrepreneurial folks who expect little help and to be honest this set up is best for this personality type. Personally, I love the independence without the liability for this work and the Edward Jones model will set you up for this type of arrangement.