What the work involves

This is a one-time written research task, not ongoing evaluation work. After a short eligibility application, selected participants receive a survey asking them to name the dimensions along which personal-financial-advising jobs differ from one another — things like client segment, fee model, discretion over investment decisions, planning depth versus product sales, regulatory hat worn, or degree of business-development responsibility — and then to describe the categories or values that sit inside each dimension. You write in your own words, define any terms of art you use, and keep the answers general rather than tied to a specific firm.

The research team is explicitly after independent professional judgment. There is no preferred taxonomy to reproduce, no preparation expected, and no timer. What distinguishes a useful response from a thin one is whether the dimensions you propose actually carve the occupation at its joints and whether your categories are mutually intelligible to someone who has never sat in an advisor's chair.

What the screen looks for

  • Five or more years of hands-on advising to individuals or households, in a U.S. professional context, current or recent.
  • Direct responsibility for building or communicating personalized recommendations — not adjacent support, operations, or compliance-only roles.
  • In-scope practice. Investment banking, corporate finance, institutional asset management, and general retail banking without a personal-advising remit are outside this round. CFP, CFA, ChFC, or a Series licence can corroborate your history but does not substitute for it.
  • Ability to describe the occupation abstractly — to step back from your own book of business and characterise the profession as a whole.

Logistics

Fully remote and fully asynchronous. Apply through the eligibility form; the research team reviews and invites, and the survey itself is only released after selection. Expect 15–20 minutes of writing, with up to 25 minutes allowed for a detailed response. Pay is a $50 one-time amount as observed on the platform for a completed, accepted response — not a rate, not recurring. Responses must be in English and must exclude client names, employer names, and confidential financial details.