For individuals who are considering a career change and have more than 10 years of work experience, becoming a financial advisor can be a great choice. This is the one profession where maturity is actually welcomed and a financial planner salary can be quite lucrative.

A mature person is more likely to have experience in making serious financial choices such as paying for a child’s education or saving for a home which will give them insight that can be invaluable to a younger person facing these decisions. Backed by the education provided by accounting certificate programs and verified by finance certifications, individuals who pursue this career path become valued employees and consultants.

First Consideration in Becoming A Financial Advisor

The first step to becoming a financial advisor is to evaluate your life and work experience; you need to have a clear understanding of what skills you possess as well as your ambitions. To be successful in this profession you need more than technical ability and mathematical skills, you also need a solid understanding of human psychology. This field is highly competitive making dedicated work habits and the ability to present the financial products you offer as solutions to an individual’s problems.

It’s important to know that there is a difference between becoming a financial advisor and a financial planner. To become a certified financial planner takes much more time; you need 3 years of work experience in a financial planning firm, it also requires a specific course of study as well as successfully passing the rigorous two-day exam.

Becoming a financial advisor requires certain training to earn regulatory licenses that enables them to sell financial products such as annuities and mutual funds. There are several firms such as Wells Fargo which have established their own in-house training programs to make this possible.

Other Options to Becoming a Financial Advisor

Probably the most traditional approach to becoming a financial advisor is to go back to school; New York University and the College of Financial Planning both offer financial planning training courses. If you decide to pursue the Certified Financial Planner designation, you will study estate planning and insurance. Once you complete these courses you can take the Certified Financial Planner test, but be forewarned that this 2 day exam takes 10 hours to complete and is extremely challenging.

Some individuals may be comfortable by testing the waters first step. Becoming a financial advisor is a major step that can be easier by accepting a position as a part-time intern to be sure that this is the right move. For individuals who work in other professions, an internship can provide real-life exposure to clients and the types of tasks you need to perform. Evening hours are when many financial advisors meet with clients and many choose to continue with their regular day jobs until they are sure that they can handle the career change.

In contrast to the financial restrictions of an internship and if a large corporation is not your cup of tea, joining a small firm in a junior position could be the option that works best for you. In a world where financial transactions have become more complicated than the average person realizes, becoming a financial advisor can help them avoid frustration and legal problems as well.

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becoming a personal financial advisor
accounting certificate of completion