How did you end up choosing a career in Finance?

When I was young I always thought of Finance as the career everyone chose when they had no idea what to do and at the age of 16 that was me. I had intended to go to University however due to a personal decision I left school and went to work in a bank.

At 18 I still had no idea where this ‘second choice career’ would take me, however after applying for a job on a bit of a whim it took me to London. Three weeks later I had packed my bags and upped sticks from Wiltshire to live the London life working for a large Platform Company. I worked at the company for a total of eight years and had roles ranging from Client Service, Pensions Technical, Asset Transfers and Supervision. I learnt so much during my time there, however I always felt I wanted more of a challenge. One day I was speaking to a colleague who mentioned she had accepted a ‘Paraplanner’ role and I had had to find out what this meant.

Did you face any barriers?

I knew that getting straight into a paraplanner role could provide difficult, so I found a role working as an IFA admin, thanks to a former colleague. I really enjoyed the role and found that thanks to my previous experience I picked things up quickly, however I knew that I wanted to progress to paraplanning as soon as I could. I asked colleagues and looked online to research the different exam institutions and I felt that the CII was the route for me.

At the time I was working alongside a female paraplanner who had recently obtained Chartered status and I was instantly inspired by her amazing level of knowledge and willingness to help me in journey. I began my exam journey undertaking the CII ‘Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning’ and passed my first exam in February 2018. Due to work commitments I didn’t get started on the second exam until a few months later but by the end of 2018 I had passed four of the six diploma exams and felt ready to take the next step in my career.

Having just fallen into jobs at 16 and 18 with no experience or exams, I thought that getting a crack into the world of paraplanning would be an easy one. I was naive in thinking that the years of experience under my belt and several exams to show my commitment would be enough…however I was mistaken. Firms either said I needed paraplanning experience or required the diploma plus experience. I felt confused, how could I gain experience without being given a chance and was almost willing to give up on finding a paraplanning role all together.

What does your exam journey look like?

After many applications and much upset, I found a role working at a national firm who weren’t phased by my lack of experience, or that I hadn’t achieved the full diploma. The interview process was very much assessing my character and work ethic, rather than whether I had used a cash flow model before. For me this role was one of the most important points in my career, someone had given me an opportunity to prove myself and be able to transfer the knowledge I had from my exams into the workplace. I worked in a pooled paraplanning environment which meant working for advisers within the office and remotely, it was great as it meant I was dealing with a variety of case types and learning each advisers preferences and…err….quirks shall we say! By April 2019 I had achieved the Diploma and there was no stopping me. I had booked two Advanced Diploma exams AF1 and AF5 alongside J02 Trusts (for ‘Double Bubble’) to be sat in October 2019.

I knew that having three exams across two days would be extremely challenging and I would need a serious amount of organisation, dedication and wine! so investigated revision courses. I had heard positive experiences from those using Expert Pensions and immediately enrolled into courses for both AF1 and AF5.

AF1 was a 12-week course which was broken down into individual weekly topics. Each week I started off by reading the study notes, watched the study videos, took the online quiz and carried out the calculations within the workbook. Once I felt confident on each topic I submitted the assessment which is reviewed by your tutor. I found this one of the most important elements as it gave me real life feedback. Another big part of the course is using the Forum, I met so many lovely people on here and you felt comfortable asking anything and everything…no question was a silly question! AF5 was a similar format however for a shorter period and focused on exam technique until the case study was sent out.

It soon came around to exam day and had AF1 in the morning and J02 in the afternoon followed by a day’s break before AF5. That week was not for the faint hearted but thankfully I had done enough to pass and achieved 90 credits towards Chartered.

I was halfway through my Chartered journey and felt more motivated than ever to achieve my goal so booked to sit AF4 in April 2020 using Expert Pensions…however just weeks before the exam COVID had other ideas and the CII cancelled the sitting until October 2020. Being the naturally stubborn Taurus that I am and wanting to achieve my goal of Chartered Fellow by the end of 2020 and I ended up completing AF4, AF6, CF6, J10, J12, ER1 and LP2 from September 2020 and finished my last exam on 30 December 2020…. achieving my personal goal with just a day to spare!

Admittedly finance isn’t for everyone but despite it being my back up choice when I left school, I can honestly say that this is my chosen career now. I have been inspired by so many individuals in the business and whilst women are still underrepresented in the finance industry, its great to see that more than ever women are considering this avenue as a career choice. It’s not just about men in suits anymore ;)!

Have you got any top tips?

Here are my top tips for getting making the move into Finance:

  • Research, Research, Research! If you have no idea what career path you want to take or how, then get googling! The internet has a wealth of articles, case studies and exam routes / career paths to help you get started. It was the first step for me when looking into paraplanning.
  • Get mingling. One of the best ways to mingle especially in the current COVID climate is via a social platform. There are so many amazing ones about including LinkedIn, Paraplanner Assembly, NextGen Planners and ElevatHer (a female specific app). I have connected with so many talented individuals who have given me some amazing career and exam advice. You never know it could lead you to your future job!
  • Get ahead if you can. Whilst I believe exams alone won’t necessarily land you in your dream job, it is worth considering getting a few behind you if its relevant for your career path. Studying will not only build your knowledge, especially if you are new to finance but will show a level of commitment and dedication.
  • Support bubble. Not just for COVID, I am talking about find a firm to support you and your goals. My current firm Montage Wealth Management has supported and my crazy goals since I arrived with them just over a year ago and it really makes the world of difference.
  • Don’t stress! It might take a little time to get where you want to be but if you have got the passion to get to where you want, it will happen.

Any extra tips for achieving Chartered?

  • Get your own Goals! My journey took just under three years from zero exams to Fellow of the PFS. Whilst my personal goal was just over two years it ended up taking a little longer due to COVID exam delays. Everyone’s journey is different and so it’s important to set your own goals rather than focus on others. It sounds crazy but writing down the exams you want to take and when is a great way to stay motivated!
  • Learn your way of learning. If reading the study book over and over works for you or having to draw endless mind maps then keep with it! It doesn’t matter how you learn, it’s getting those passes which are important.
  • Find those Friends! I found several study buddies via Expert Pensions, LinkedIn and Paraplanners Assembly and whilst we didn’t physical sit and study together it was great to know that others are going through the same thing and I am still in contact with those lovely people.
  • Double Bubble for those extra credits. No this isn’t some sort of bath bomb…many of the R0 and J0 exams are the core foundations to the Advanced Diploma exams and if you haven’t already sat those its certainly worth studying at the same time to achieve extra credits. The ones I did were J02 with AF1 and J10 and J12 with AF4.
  • Lastly, enjoy It! Yes it’s going to be a lot of hard work, dedication and some severe ‘FOMO’ when you are having to study long hours but I can truly say the feeling of achieving your goal will be 100% worth it.

Best of luck on your journey!

Sasha x