This is the career as told to JustJobs.com. This site houses thousands of job listings from companies across the United States. If you have considered a career in the Finance industry, read on to learn what the job is really like from this Financial Planner. Visit JustJobs to find out how to secure your dream job today.
I am a licensed Division Manager and I work in the Financial Services industry. I have been with my company for about 11 years and I have gained a wealth of experience both in the office and in the field.
I help middle income families in my state get properly protected (life insurance) and become financially independent. I am also a recruiter for the company. We are always looking for enthusiastic self-starters in which to make partners and join our crusade.
A Career In Financial Planning...
There are several misunderstandings about how the client perceives what I do before an actual meeting. They think that they have to pay something or they have to invest in the company. My job is to find areas in their finances where they might be over-spending. I offer them the options to earn more, reduce spending and implement a savings plan for education and retirement.
My job satisfaction rates a definite 10. Personally I feel that must increase my efforts to expose more people to our company and vision for a financially free America!
I am very passionate about this because of the debt and savings crisis in the U.S. and my own personal financial struggles. When presented with the opportunity to have my own financial plan put in place, I could relate to everything that I was told and the solutions just made "good sense."
During my 11 years with this company, I have had the privilege to meet and help a lot of people get on the right financial track. Once they experience the effects of what I do, they are glad to refer others to me so that they can do the same.
The most unique aspect of my accomplishments and experiences is the fact my licensing did not come as easy for me as it did for most others in my office. Due to the challenges along the way, I have a better appreciation for what I have accomplished and for what I am able to do for both my clients and the people that I recruit for my team.
Actually, the opportunity to work with this company on a part-time basis was presented to me three times during my life. I guess the third time was the charm. The times before I was in a different frame-of-mind and I really did not think that I could survive in this business.
Besides, I was in college and focused on my studies when I was first offered. The second time, I still didn't feel a burning desire to do what was required. Looking back, and now knowing all that I could have gained by this time, I just regret not starting sooner and noticing that it's really what I wanted to do all along.
In this industry I learned that not everyone will be open to financial planning and should not be forced, but encouraged. Over the years I have learned to just keeping moving to the next family and not worry about those that did not see or did not want to see a better financial future.
I have learned that in the working world nothing is guaranteed; not your salary, your benefits, your retirement plan or the job itself. At some point, not even your education or experience can save you because there is always someone better.
The strangest thing that ever happened to me was experienced when visiting a potential client and recruit. The lady of the house was quite charming and hospitable. Right before we ended the presentation and started the paperwork for her financial plan, she excused herself and went upstairs.
We were left at her dining room table for about 30 to 45 minutes and we could hear her mumbling. We didn't want to call her down, so we quietly began to exit the home. When we got to the door, she came down the stairs and stopped us.
She told us that the reason why she left us was because she had seen on the news that a lady with my name was going around scamming people with some kind of financial scheme.
She thought that it may have been me and went upstairs to call her boyfriend. After speaking to him and getting more information, she surmised that it was not me. She had her plan put in place and she came to our office to check out our career opportunity.
Needless to say, it was a strange evening!
I get stressed on the job when people can't see beyond their situation. They are so focused on the problems that they can't see the solutions. That makes me a little crazy!
What I do is not very stressful, except for the occasional difficult personality. I can balance my work-life because I can work and plan my own schedule on a daily basis. This allows me time with my own family and friends.
For my pay level, a rough salary range is about $36,000-$40,000 per year. I am happy with my pay and living within my means, but not content. I have planned my next promotion to Regional Manager for this year.
To a friend considering this line of work, I would tell them that they can succeed in this business with the proper training from the company and with a wealth of self-improvement. "The biggest battle we have is with our minds and our mouths."
If I could write my own ticket, in five years I would like to be at the top level in the company at Regional Vice-President and running my own agency within the company, and I am only two promotions away! At this point I will have a team of people working for me and I'll be living the life!
Career financial planner image from Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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