Crystal-Clear Wisdom
Crystal Alford-Cooper, CFP®, CFA®, CRC® offers four pieces of advice for anyone considering a career in financial advising: “Number one: it has to be something you want to do, that you feel you have a passion for. This isn’t the type of career you just muddle through.” She also encourages would-be planners to “Get your education and licensing; find mentors – both male and female – that you want to emulate; and ask questions! People love to talk about themselves.”
A Family Affair
Growing up with a father in the financial planning business made becoming an advisor a natural choice for Katherine O’Leary, CFP®. Yet she contends, “There is a demand for different voices; there’s something that we as Millennials can really bring to the profession.” Her tip on getting started? “Talk to your parents’ advisor…I’m always happy to talk with people who are interested in getting into this business.”
“Fake It ‘til You Make It”
Kayla Walter, CFP® confesses that there were times in college when the “technical jargon” in her finance classes left her wondering, “What are y’all talking about?!” Still, she advises potential advisors to “Just go for it, keep pressing forward, don’t be afraid to ask questions and do all of the things you see other advisors doing. ‘Fake it ‘til you make it’ and you’ll eventually get there,” Kayla says with a grin.
You Won’t Know if You Don’t Ask
Millennial advisor Sarah Broglie, CFP® counsels college students – “women specifically” – to ask questions of people already in the field: “Talk about what they do day-to-day, and what they’ve gotten from being an advisor,” she suggests. The last piece of advice Sarah has for aspiring planners? “Don’t let your nervousness get in the way of exploring something that you could be very good at.”
The “Path” to Success
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