Have you ever wondered if a career in financial advising is right for you?
A career as a financial advisor can be incredibly rewarding—especially for those who enjoy helping others reach their goals. Financial advisors are problem solvers who tackle new challenges daily and thrive in an analytical environment. Most of all, they enjoy creating relationships with others and feel a sense of pride when they help guide a client to success.
The path to becoming a financial advisor is not a fast-and-easy road. After all, we have a great deal of responsibility. But, when choosing this career path, it’s wonderful to know that you are working daily to help others improve their financial lives and helping to protect their assets. If you’re questioning whether a career in financial advising is right for you, we have a few insights to help you decide.
You might consider a career in financial advising if…
You Are an Analytical Person
Financial advisors spend much of their time analyzing their clients’ financial standing. They identify and evaluate ways that the client might be able to grow their money or help protect their assets more effectively. For this reason, advisors are detail-oriented people who love finding new ways to solve problems. They use their analytical skills to understand how they can improve upon their clients’ financial strategies and put those improvements into practice, reviewing their progress closely.
You Want to Be a Lifelong Learner
As we said, the road to success in financial advising is not a quick one. Financial advisors enjoy learning throughout their career because it means that they can proceed to the next level—the next step in their career, a better level of service for their clients, and so on.
Advisors must complete a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related field, before entering on-the-job training. They then complete several hours of shadowing established advisors, experiencing a variety of client scenarios first-hand. Even after training is complete, advisors continue their education through new certifications and training courses.
You Have Great Communication Skills
Being a financial advisor isn’t all finance jargon, though. It’s important that advisors have the communication skills they need to connect with their team members and clients. Finances can be very complex and technical, and an advisor must be able to explain those complicated topics in simple, easy-to-understand terms.
You Enjoy Helping Others
Money doesn’t buy happiness, right? But, it does provide us with something else: confidence. Financial advisors are in the unique position to identify their clients’ biggest financial hurdles and goals to devise a plan that meets their most precious needs. They can help parents save for their children’s college education. They can help clients plan for their dream retirement. They can help protect the estate of someone who has worked their whole life to build wealth. No matter the scenario, advisors can play an important role in helping others.
You Have the Heart of an Educator
We don’t sell; we teach! Financial advisors work with their clients to educate them on the best moves to make with their money. When they are truly keeping the client’s best interests in mind, an advisor will explain to their clients what their options are and why they might choose one way or the other. Transparency is key when you’re working with your clients’ hard-earned money.
Searching for a career in the financial services industry?
Southwestern Investment Group has a variety of positions open for you to explore. We operate based on our nine core values that lead the way for everything we do, and we believe in the power of mentorship. In fact, our own founder and President Jeff Dobyns built a two-year mentoring program with his team at Southwestern Investment Group that equips and prepares new advisors for success. Above all, our company cares deeply for our associates, and we provide the tools you need to succeed in your career. Want to join us? View our Careers page for more information.
