David Collins has just passed his final exams and now he’s a fully-qualified Independent Financial Adviser (IFA).
David already had a degree and experience of working with one of the major banks before he joined his present employer two years ago and began studying towards his qualification.
“Studying while you’re working may seem tricky but in fact it’s gone really well,” he says.
“Because you’re dealing with clients all the time you’re able to apply what you’re learning immediately and that really reinforces it.”
David’s is a small firm of just six IFAs but its very smallness, says David, is one of its major plus points.
“There are no office politics to deal with. Everyone just gets on with doing the job and, because they are a really friendly and professional group of people, there’s no problem with asking questions if there’s anything I’m not sure about.”
David also likes the personal contact with clients, dealing with people of all ages and at all stages – from those who’ve started work and are just beginning to think about planning for the future and those ready to start drawing their pensions.
s1jobs carries a variety of vacancies across the financial services sector, from the major institutions to independent firms like the one David works for.
So if you’re considering switching careers, how much studying will you have to do in order to become an IFA?
Well, you will have to commit quite serious time and energy to gaining a qualification. Exams cover not just the financial side of the business but also the extensive regulatory framework that comes with it.
Additional topics include mortgages and pensions and you will also need to learn how to properly assess a client’s assets to help them achieve their objectives.
But the learning doesn’t stop when you’ve the framed certificates on the wall. Within the financial services industry nothing stands still for long. New regulations and guidelines are issued almost every week so this is not the sort of career where you can rest on your laurels.
“You do need to be good with detail and be able to remember lots of facts and figures,” says David.
“Some of the work does involve making sure every box has been ticked and to some people that may seem tedious but it’s not. It’s all part of making sure you do the very best for your clients!”
For all the latest Financial Services roles visit s1jobs.com