How a career change to financial advice could be the answer
Gee Foottit, St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy
In my own career, I have been lucky enough to work in a variety of roles, both as an employee and self-employed, running my own business. The key to how successful and happy I have been in each role, depended very much on whether I had autonomy at work; the ability to make decisions independently, plan my own schedule, having the freedom to work in a way that suits me without someone looking over my shoulder; being trusted to get the job done but being able to approach it my way and gaining great satisfaction from that.
A lack of autonomy at work is one of the biggest drivers for applicants to St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy. It is one of the reasons why our candidates feel that they are frustrated in their current roles and take a leap of faith to make a career change, retraining as a financial adviser.
Reassessing lifestyle
The shared experience of the pandemic has made so many of us reassess our priorities. We are reconsidering where we live, where we work, how we work and with whom. While some people are changing the direction of their lives out of necessity, others have seen it as an opportunity.
A career in financial advice, with the opportunity to build your own business has benefits that so many of us are now looking for in our working lives.
Flexibility
Working for yourself as a financial adviser offers all the benefits of flexible working. You can take control of when you work and for how long, flexing your time around your own needs and those of your clients. This also applies to location. You can build a client base around where you choose to live, or work with clients remotely who are based further afield. Again, you will have autonomy at work over these decisions.
Role with purpose
I am a firm believer in the role of a financial adviser as one with purpose. Many of our candidates are looking for a career that rewards in a number of ways, not just financially. Building good relationships sits at the heart of financial advice – as an adviser you will get to know your clients, build a rapport and genuinely support some of the most important decisions they will make about their future.
Using transferable skills in a new way
We are an Academy for all. When candidates come to the Academy from a different industry, or who are returning to work after a career break, they often ask what skills they can bring. There are some core transferrable skills that we look for, irrespective of the candidate’s background. These attributes include resilience, a personal presence or confidence, emotional intelligence, being self-driven and above all having integrity.
The ’entrepreneurial itch’
I remember all too well having a desire to work for myself, to regain autonomy in my working life and take control of my income and schedule. I call this this the ‘entrepreneurial itch’. I’m now in a position where I can help others to recognise this and to act upon it. I can guide them to set up their own business as a financial adviser or join an existing established partnership.
As part of the St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy candidates can access the expertise of whole SJP partnership, 4,500+ advisers’ experience. They receive support from people who have walked the same path as them, plus the backing of a FTSE100 business offering technical, research, marketing, business development and systems support.
Find out more about setting up your own financial advice business here.