Despite being a people person, you have to be able to wear different hats. Understanding the character you are dealing with, how they wish to be communicated with and what they need from you is very important.
What would be your top tip for someone starting out on their journey to become an adviser?
Remember that the textbooks will tell you only so much. Qualifications are essential and open the doors to make doing the job possible.
However, people skills, and the ability to be dynamic and gaining ‘on the job’ experience of different situations is just as valuable.
Get into a good firm with a clear development plan/scheme in place for you as early as possible.
This provides the opportunity to progress through the roles (admin or paraplanning) and into advice, if you so wish, while getting some great experience and connections.
From there, you can think about the right future environment for you, based on how you want to operate, who you want to work with and what you feel your strengths and weaknesses are.
Your career will be a long one, so take your time and remember to walk before you can run.
