Inside Financial Planner Careers

Biggest Surprises

"Many Ways To Success...
I was surprised at the number of different ways you can become successful. You don't necessarily need to be the smartest, funniest or most connected. You simply need to find a niche you can market to and find solutions for." (Insurance Sales; 2013)

Career: 15 years of experience, currently based in Florida, male
School: Studied Finance at Indiana University in Indiana; completed Bachelor degree in 1992

"Additional Training Too...
Most people are surprised as to how much training you have to have in addition to a bachelor degree. My bank paid for 2 months of financial training and licensing in order to be a financial planner." (Banker; 2013)

Career: 2 years of experience, currently based in Washington, male
School: Studied History at Western WA Univ in Washington; completed Bachelor degree in 2003

"Internship Experience Is Key To Employment...
You will most likely not get the position or salary you desire straight after graduation. Having at least two years of internship experience is highly recommended." (Finance Assistant.; 2013)

Career: 1 years of experience, currently based in Texas, male
School: Studied Finance Major. at University Of Texas At San Antonio in Texas in 2012

Best & Worst Things About This Career

Financial Paraplanner: "The best part of my career is how interesting it is. I love being able to look at the reports we show the clients and learn more about financial planning - why the advisers recommend the funds they are suggesting for the client's accounts, what constitutes a complete and prepared retirement plan, etc. This is all very interesting to me and I get a first-hand study of a huge variety of cases. The worst part for me is the occasional monotony - there are some weeks where it feels as though the reviews are all exactly the same, and I'm gong through the same motions 20-30 times, which gets boring and repetitive." (2011)

Career Background

Financial Planner

  Salaries

Career Tips

"Study Today...
Work hard in school. It won't dictate where you finish but it does help you a little where you start." (Insurance Sales; 2013)

"Growth Potential In Any Industry...
Finance is crucial to every company. No matter what position you get after graduation, with this career you have huge growth potential." (Finance Assistant.; 2013)

"Make Sure You Are Good At Taking Tests...
Make sure you know you will need to be a good studier because in order to pass financial tests you have to get good scores." (Banker; 2013)

"Take Finance Course And Know Excel Well...
Make sure to take courses in financial planning or any sort of financial topic - the base of knowledge will help you start out ahead. With so much to learn in this field, any extra knowledge you can gain ahead of time is key. Consider an internship at a financial planning office during your college career to get your foot in the door and to get a feel of what it's like to work in the field. The environment isn't for everyone, so this is a helpful way to know if it's the right fit for you without committing to a job you're unsure about. A good knowledge of Microsoft Excel is a must to do well in this field. Strong skills in this program will help you get hired and will help you to succeed quickly in this field." (Financial Paraplanner; 2011)