I joined the finance industry fresh out of school, which can be a challenging first job. Nonetheless, today I’m a financial planner specialising in holistic planning for clients; and also in Employee Benefits and Total Risk Management for corporate clients. In 2021, I would have been working in this industry for 11 years already.

In an earlier decade, when I had just gotten out of school, the job market was somewhat less enlightened. Employers only wanted experienced staff, and they wanted them from the get-go. As a Business Marketing graduate with zero experience, no organisation was willing to take a risk; they didn’t want someone who didn’t already have the right connections and time in the trenches.

Getting other jobs were possible, but they almost all involved selling for others

During my interviews right out of school, available positions were sales related; such as Information Technology (IT) sales executive openings. These jobs had little relation to my education and skill set; there was nothing about local or international marketing strategies. They were just about sales as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI).

But when I found out about Financial Services Consultant (FSC) positions, I was excited by the prospect. This was a job where I could do sales for myself, instead of selling for others.

Also, this job was more multi-faceted; it includes elements of business development, such as constant sourcing for clients, and marketing efforts to increase business engagement. This allows me to bring my educational background to bear. Accounts and client servicing are for both corporate and personal accounts, and there’s a lot of effort toward tailored solutions for each customer. 

There are strategic decisions that have to be made; as if all the functions of a corporate entity are squeezed into one human being. While it’s not easy, I could see the rewards were commensurate from the start: it would allow me to potentially earn more than my peers. That’s when I stepped into the industry, along with a friend.

There were a ton of challenges along the way

I was an introvert by nature, and I was inclined toward being a “follow the black and white” sort of worker. But being an FSC requires me to engage all kinds of people in conversation; and I need to be flexible enough to address different concerns. There was never a “one size fits all” solution.

It took constant training and endless grinding appointments, to adapt to all of this. But this led to my portfolio of clients now encompassing people from all walks of life.

The other challenge was the Own-Time-Own-Target (OTOT) nature of being an FSC. Being young, I wanted to have fun; and a liberal work schedule can equate to failure. Sometimes I was a lazy person, trying to do my work as fast as possible, with the least amount of effort. My business and income suffered from that; and it was through the benefit of a mentor that I learned to manage it.

The advantage of a flexible work schedule means we can – and should – work even harder, to fully enjoy the days when we take personal time off. 

Coming into the job as a fresh graduate also posed added challenges

One disadvantage that I didn’t have as a fresh grad was an existing market. For those who come into this job later in life, they have more personal contacts such as ex-colleagues, clients, or suppliers and business contacts from previous relationships.

But I found being a fresh grad had its own edge. I was like a clean whiteboard, so my mentor could teach me everything, and I would absorb it in without having second thoughts. When you come in fresh you lack the experience and connections of having been in the workforce; but you might also be more adaptable, and less rigid with regard to certain practices. 

Fresh grads may be faced with skeptics at first, but it changes over time

My family was very supportive of me since day one. Friends, however, didn’t all share the same opinion. That’s fine. It’s understandable since everyone has at least one or two friends in their social network that is, or has been, in the industry. It doesn’t matter what they think of us, as long as we are passionate in our own career. (Yes, we need to be a little thick skinned) 

Some friends who have rejected me before, even became my clients after a few years. 

I’d say this industry provides the means to actualise your dreams, in the shortest amount of time

I came aboard as a fresh grad, and in 11 years I have never once looked back. If you’re contemplating a job change, don’t waste time; as long as you have the right attitude, take the leap and you can go a long way in this career.