RIA Talent Advantage®

Schwab Resources

It's important to scale and grow efficiently, but it can be hard to know where to start. Find all the resources you need to assist with recruiting, hiring, and developing talent for your firm.

Choose your topic of interest and we'll provide you with relevant resources.

Establishing a legacy through a cycle of opportunity

Learn how to attract, develop, and retain key talent to ensure the continuity of a firm's people, culture, and values.

Read the white paper

Prospecting

Resumes of students attending IMPACT®

Access the resumes of students who attended IMPACT who seek internships and permanent positions with RIA firms.

Student Resumes from IMPACT

Presentation: Careers in the RIA industry

These presentations explain the important role of an independent Registered Investment Advisor. Use them to help with recruiting and outreach efforts.

Ready-to-use and customizable PowerPoints

Job descriptions

Craft effective job descriptions to help attract the best talent. Clicking on the links below will redirect you to the Talent Resource Center.

Talent Resource Center

RIA Intern Program

Schwab's RIA Intern Program selects top candidates from colleges and universities to participate in a summer intern experience. The RIA Intern Alumni Resume Book lists individuals who are now actively seeking employment. If you custody with Schwab, use this to help source your next hire.

RIA Intern Program Resume Book*

The RIA Internship advantage

Learn how an internship program opens the door to promising young talent.

RIA Internship Infographic

Interviewing

Simplify the interview process with these evaluation tools.

Candidate evaluation form Sample interview questions Candidate tracking form

Onboarding

Once you've found the right candidate, use these tools to bring them on board.

Sample offer letter Onboarding process checklist

Career advice from inside the RIA profession

As part of our commitment to advancing awareness of the RIA profession, we're bringing together voices from across the industry to share their journeys and advice with the next generation of talent. In this first video, an experienced advisor offers real-world insights, lessons learned, and practical guidance to help you launch a career in the RIA industry.

Cheerful music plays.

Onscreen: The Charles Schwab and Advisor Services logos appear. 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: Career insights from a young advisor 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: Why is the RIA industry a great place for young professionals to build a career?

Man [on-screen]: The RIA industry is a great opportunity…

Onscreen text: Marvin Davies IV, CFP®, Associate Wealth Advisor, Focus Partners Wealth

Man: … for young professionals because of the flexibility and the opportunity that exists. There are a balance of advisors who are… been working in the industry for 40 years, or advisors who are just starting that can all give you a piece of insight that can help your transition. I think that there is a beautiful balance between professional life and personal life, where this isn't the industry where you have to put everything aside, and forget about friends and family to succeed. That if you really balance both and… and utilize the flexibility of the industry, you could take advantage of both and be successful both professionally and personally. 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: What advice would you give to a college student interested in joining the RIA industry? 

Man: Take advantage of the position you're in. Right now, you're in a no pressure environment. You're still in school having chances to take internships with a bunch of different firms. Utilize that. Reach out to your professors and ask them if they have any connections or insight in the industry and see where that takes you. Right now, you have the opportunity to try anything, work at a big firm with a lot of potential, or a small firm with just a few clients, to see what style fits you best so that when you're coming into the industry, you have an idea of what you would like to do. 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: What skills or experiences gave you an edge when applying for your first job in the RIA industry? 

Man: What helped me stand out the most in my recruiting process was my knowledge of planning software. Your first few years in the firm, you're doing a lot of developing your deliverables and plans to clients, that having the technical skills on the software is going to really help you stand out. I also was a teacher's assistant while I was at The Ohio State University, so being able to understand and communicate very difficult concepts to teaching someone something new is something I use every day here. 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: What mindset helps you thrive as a young professional in your firm?

Man: The biggest mindset that I take into my job here every day is to embrace a new challenge. There are going to be so many situations where you're given a task that you know little to nothing about. Use that as an opportunity to grow and learn something new. Don't be afraid to ask advisors or utilize the resources because you don't have to know everything. I think there's a perception in the industry that you as an advisor have to have the answer to every client question the moment they ask you, but it's okay to do a little bit more research and tell them that they'll get… that you can get back to them when you know what you… you need for that situation.

Cheerful music plays.

Charles Schwab logo and Own your tomorrow® Iogo appears.

Onscreen text appears: 

©2026 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab). All rights reserved. Member SIPC (www.sipc.org). ELC131374-00 (0726-CADH)
Video Transcript

Marvin Davies IV, CFP® - Associate Wealth Advisor, Focus Partners Wealth

Cheerful music plays.

Onscreen: The Charles Schwab and Advisor Services logos appear. 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: Career insights from a young advisor 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: Why is the RIA industry a great place for young professionals to build a career?

Man [on-screen]: The RIA industry is a great opportunity…

Onscreen text: Marvin Davies IV, CFP®, Associate Wealth Advisor, Focus Partners Wealth

Man: … for young professionals because of the flexibility and the opportunity that exists. There are a balance of advisors who are… been working in the industry for 40 years, or advisors who are just starting that can all give you a piece of insight that can help your transition. I think that there is a beautiful balance between professional life and personal life, where this isn't the industry where you have to put everything aside, and forget about friends and family to succeed. That if you really balance both and… and utilize the flexibility of the industry, you could take advantage of both and be successful both professionally and personally. 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: What advice would you give to a college student interested in joining the RIA industry? 

Man: Take advantage of the position you're in. Right now, you're in a no pressure environment. You're still in school having chances to take internships with a bunch of different firms. Utilize that. Reach out to your professors and ask them if they have any connections or insight in the industry and see where that takes you. Right now, you have the opportunity to try anything, work at a big firm with a lot of potential, or a small firm with just a few clients, to see what style fits you best so that when you're coming into the industry, you have an idea of what you would like to do. 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: What skills or experiences gave you an edge when applying for your first job in the RIA industry? 

Man: What helped me stand out the most in my recruiting process was my knowledge of planning software. Your first few years in the firm, you're doing a lot of developing your deliverables and plans to clients, that having the technical skills on the software is going to really help you stand out. I also was a teacher's assistant while I was at The Ohio State University, so being able to understand and communicate very difficult concepts to teaching someone something new is something I use every day here. 

Onscreen text appears in a square box: What mindset helps you thrive as a young professional in your firm?

Man: The biggest mindset that I take into my job here every day is to embrace a new challenge. There are going to be so many situations where you're given a task that you know little to nothing about. Use that as an opportunity to grow and learn something new. Don't be afraid to ask advisors or utilize the resources because you don't have to know everything. I think there's a perception in the industry that you as an advisor have to have the answer to every client question the moment they ask you, but it's okay to do a little bit more research and tell them that they'll get… that you can get back to them when you know what you… you need for that situation.

Cheerful music plays.

Charles Schwab logo and Own your tomorrow® Iogo appears.

Onscreen text appears: 

©2026 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab). All rights reserved. Member SIPC (www.sipc.org). ELC131374-00 (0726-CADH)

Marvin Davies IV, CFP® - Associate Wealth Advisor, Focus Partners Wealth

Hear Marvin share why the RIA industry is a great place for young professionals to build a career.

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The RIA Talent Advantage® Program supports advisors with tools, resources, and networking opportunities to attract, develop, and retain diverse talent to serve investors.

This material is for institutional investor use only. This material may not be forwarded or made available, in part or in whole, to any party that is not an institutional investor.

The RIA Intern Program Resume Book is designed to help educate and connect college students to the RIA industry. Participation in this program provides no guarantees regarding the capabilities or suitability of students for employment. Schwab does not make any representations or warranties concerning any of the students listed in the RIA Intern Program Resume Book, including without limitation, the accuracy or completeness of their resumes or their ability to enter into or fulfill the requirements of any employment relationship. Completion of the program does not confer any certificate, credential, or evaluation on the participating student, and advisors should not construe their participation and listing in the RIA Intern Program Resume Book as a recommendation to hire, an endorsement, or a sponsorship by Schwab.

You must decide whether to hire any employee and his or her appropriateness for you or your firm. Schwab has not verified the information in any of the resumes and has not performed background checks or other due diligence on the interns with the intent that you rely on it. You should perform your own verifications.

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© 2026 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. ("Schwab") All rights reserved. Member SIPC.