Insight

How Monex USA Sales Associate Margaret E. Finds Peace at Home – and the Office

Though Margaret wasn’t specifically looking at the foreign exchange industry, she saw a job description that intrigued her and applied for the position, which turned out to be at a Monex competitor. The hiring manager happened to see her application moments after she sent it and contacted her immediately. She took the job not knowing if she would like the field, but remained with that company for 10 years.

Margaret E. studied finance in college, and paid the bills through school by waitressing and working in sales. She was fortunate to discover at a young age that she enjoyed sales, and was also good at it. She went to work in sales after college and ended up at a division of a major oil company. She was happy there until her position required her to move to Texas. Originally from Rhode Island, she decided that was just too far away from home, and looked for another job.

Though Margaret wasn’t specifically looking at the foreign exchange industry, she saw a job description that intrigued her and applied for the position, which turned out to be at a Monex competitor. The hiring manager happened to see her application moments after she sent it and contacted her immediately. She took the job not knowing if she would like the field, but remained with that company for 10 years.

Then six and a half years ago, Monex recruited Margaret to come work for the company. At first it was a difficult decision to leave her old job, because she’d been there since early in her career. “It felt like leaving family,” says Margaret. “But it turned out to be a good decision. So many experienced, smart people work at Monex, and I’ve learned so much. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t work here.”

“What do you do for work, Mom?”

Since foreign exchange can be a complex industry, Margaret usually doesn’t go into a lot of detail about her job. When people ask, she keeps it simple and says she works in sales, or financial services sales, if they need more details. Even those closest to her don’t always understand what she does. Her 11 year-old son recently told her he thought she did something with marketing.

It’s understandable, though. Recent changes in technology keep the experts on their toes as well. When Margaret first started in FX, you looked in the newspaper for the day’s exchange rates, and at work they posted daily rates in the elevator. Today, all that information is available and updated in real time and available online and through smartphone apps.

Awareness of FX is much different today, also. While there are still a few people involved in finance and foreign currencies that don’t really know how the FX market works.  Many more people have a growing awareness of financial markets, exchange rates, and how important they are. 

With technology evolving so rapidly, Margaret likes to joke that in 10 years, she may not even have a job anymore. Clients can do more on their own, if they want, with the latest apps. However, there will always be a demand for trusted advisors with market expertise. 

Margaret envisions herself staying with foreign exchange for quite a while. She got into sales because of the income potential, and she stays because she believes in the product and the satisfaction she gets from helping her clients. “I’ll hear from a business owner who’s worked with me for years,” says Margaret. “They’ll say, ‘Wow, you really helped our business grow, I don’t know what we would’ve done if we hadn’t run into you.’ That’s always an amazing feeling.” 

Flexibility and Creative Balance at Work and Home

Margaret appreciates the flexibility to work from home and spend time with her son. She can leave the office to meet clients, or research leads at home when she wants to. Without the pressure to put in long days in the office, she actually enjoys spending time there, working with the rest of the sales team for creative ideas to find new leads. Even now, with most of the staff spending part or most of their time at home, she works at the office when she’s able, because it gives her separation from home and feels like she’s better at her job at the office, even if she’s alone in the office.

An experienced salesperson, Margaret has a knack for discovering verticals and industries that could benefit from foreign payment services, and the challenge of connecting with them. “It can be random, like one time I thought about carwash systems,” says Margaret. “I wondered if the carwash systems came from Europe, researched it, and sure enough, a lot do. Now I have a really good client from that vertical.”

Like everyone, Margaret learned a few things about herself during the Covid shutdown. One is how much she appreciates teachers and the work they do. After monitoring her son’s remote schooling, she loves her job more than ever, and is happy to turn that back over to her son’s teachers. Covid also reinforced how important it is to take challenges day by day, and try not to stress about things.

Margaret discovered that she grew closer to her loved ones during quarantine, and feels much more connected to her neighbors and clients. We were all in the same boat, and she discovered a sense of community with others working from home facing similar challenges, and figuring out how to work through them. Getting out into nature helped her take care of her mental well-being. She loves spending time in parks and the woods nearby. When her local parks were closed for a period in 2020, it was tough. But now they’re open and she’s able to reconnect with nature.

“I love nature, spending time with my family, and animals, especially my dogs,” says Margaret. “It’s the truth, I really do enjoy my family a lot. My son and my nieces, and just spending time with the people I love.” 

Sales and Foreign Exchange: A Beautiful Career

After working in sales for so long, Margaret has a healthy attitude toward the rejection that comes with the job. She’s learned to not dwell on rejection, but to view each call as a challenge to connect with the person on the other end of the line. If she doesn’t make the connection, she can cross the name off the list and move on to the next one, getting one step closer to the next “yes”. 

After 17 years in the industry, Margaret says that sales and foreign exchange together make for a beautiful career. She enjoys the creative process of finding leads and researching them. It’s rewarding to get to know prospects, with the added bonus of getting paid if they decide to work with her.

“I worked with someone who described it almost like a cash machine,” says Margaret. “In a way, it’s true. I help the customer make money, so they’re happy. I’m also making money off of each transaction. That makes it very exciting to spend the time researching verticals and industries, and rewarding to help businesses grow.”

Ready to learn more from our award-winning trading team?

 

BOOK AN INTRO MEETING                      OPEN A FREE ACCOUNT

Let’s Talk
Ready to save money, save time, and reduce risk?

It’s quick and easy to get started. Fill out the form below and a Monex USA market expert will connect with you shortly. Our team will work closely with you to develop a personalized strategy for your global payment & currency needs.

Contact us