It’s a great time to be a financial consultant. The demand for skilled financial professionals has never been higher, and the career opportunities are almost limitless you can open your practice or even move into corporate finance down the road.
So what do you need to know if you’re thinking of becoming a financial consultant? We’ll break down everything from the basic requirements of this job.
How to find clients and generate leads, how much money you’ll make as a financial consultant, and more details about whether this line of work is right for you.
Prepare A Competitive CV
The first thing you should do is make a well-written CV. A CV is your marketing tool and the first item that a recruiter will see when they scan through hundreds of applications.
Your CV needs to be easy to read, so use a font that’s large enough and easy to read. You also want to make sure it doesn’t look too busy or cluttered; this will distract from the important information about your experience and qualifications.
Highlight Your Transferable Skills
Transferable skills are the abilities you have developed in your previous roles that can be applied to the role you are seeking. For example, if you were a teacher, your transferable skills may be management and communication.
If you were an athlete, they might be leadership and teamwork. Some of these skills might be more universal than others like communication or critical thinking.
But even if it’s not something directly related to finance, it’s important to include them on your resume because these are the things that make candidates stand out from the crowd.
Once you’ve identified which specific skills are important for this job (i.e., “financial reporting”), write down how each one applies to what you want in a new job (i.e., “understands how financial statements work).
Also, make sure that these transferable skills align with those listed as required for the position by researching similar job listings online or by talking with recruiters at conferences or events where financial professionals gather (which we’ll talk about below).
Don’t Forget About Soft Skills
You may be a master of technical skills, but that won’t get your foot in the door. Employers want employees who can work well with others and adapt to new situations quickly; they want to hire people who are likable and trustworthy.
Soft skills are often overlooked by employers, but for those looking for a job in finance or accounting (or any other field), it’s important not to overlook them yourself. You can’t develop soft skills overnight they’re developed over time through practice and preparation.
But if you don’t start building them early on, then your career progression will likely be stalled as you find yourself behind other candidates who have taken the time to develop these qualities.
Practice Your Interview Techniques
Practicing with a professional coach is the most effective way to prepare for an interview.
A mock interview, which is a practice session where the coach takes on the role of interviewer and you play yourself (often in front of a mirror), allows you to test out your answers to questions off-the-cuff.
And because they can simulate real interviews, they’re also invaluable in helping you identify areas where you may need improvement.
When it comes down to it, though, there are only so many ways one can ask a question and if you’re prepared for them all, chances are good that your preparation will pay off when it’s time for an actual interview. Here are some of the most popular questions candidates face:
- Tell us about yourself.
- Why do think you’re qualified for this job?
- What was your favorite part about working at [past job]?
Prepare For Salary Negotiations
When it comes to discussing your salary, it’s important to remember that you are in the driver’s seat.
You may be nervous about negotiating, after all, it’s a big decision and one that can have long-lasting effects on your career but doesn’t let this fear keep you from speaking up.
It’s natural for some people to think they aren’t worth as much as they are, but there are ways around this problem.
One way is to use a tool like Glassdoor or Payscale that helps determine what similar positions across different fields pay. Another option is asking friends and family members who work in similar fields how much they make and why their salaries are set where they are.
This will help give you an idea of what the market value is for someone with your specific skill set and experience level.
Other options include researching companies before applying so that you know what range of salaries they generally offer to avoid being surprised later on down the line if hired without warning;
Researching average salaries online based on location (state/city), industry type (e.g., finance) and education level achieved (e.,g., master’s degree); checking out Glassdoor reviews written by current employees at each company being considered prior hiring day one as well!
Apply To The Right Companies
When you’re looking for a job, it can be hard to know where to start. But that’s the beauty of the internet: there are plenty of resources out there to help you figure out what kind of company is right for you.
The first step in finding your dream job is making sure that the company fits with what you want out of life and work.
Take some time to research each company before applying that way, when they send an offer letter or even just an interview invitation, they’ll know that they’ve found someone who’s going to be right at home among their ranks!
Show You Care About The Company’s CSR
If a company has a social responsibility program, this is the perfect opportunity to show that you care. You can demonstrate your passion by researching their efforts and how they might be enhanced. You could even offer to help them devise new initiatives.
If a company doesn’t have an existing CSR program or you don’t see it on their website, ask about it during the interview. Instead of saying “I want to work for Company X because I like its products/services” such as “I love your product!” consider saying something more nuanced like:
“My brother just got married and I had nothing but good things to say about his experience with Company X! Since he had such an amazing day working with all of your staff, I wanted to reach out and find out if there was anything I could do for them? In fact… (insert idea here).
Network
Networking is the first step to landing your dream job as a financial consultant. It’s not just about finding a job; it’s about building relationships and trust. Let’s take a look at what this process looks like:
You will meet people who know everything about finance and investing, but more importantly, you’ll meet people who work in finance and investing. These individuals can give you advice on how to get started in the field of personal finance and help guide your career path.
Your network will allow you to be seen by recruiters when positions open up within their companies or organizations.
Recruiters depend on their networks when they’re looking for new employees, so having strong connections with these professionals is essential if they are going to recommend hiring someone like yourself!
Choose Your CV Template Wisely
When you choose a CV template, it’s important to consider the job for which you are applying. If you’re applying for an entry-level position and have no work experience, your CV should be much simpler than if you have a few years of experience.
The same goes for templates: don’t try to make something complicated because it will distract from all the good things that are on your resume!
There are two basic types of resumes: chronological and functional. A chronological resume focuses on your work history by listing companies and dates worked at each company;
A functional resume focuses on skills gained during each job rather than listing the names of companies where they were acquired. Choosing wisely choosing one type over could result in more interviews!
When choosing a template (or making one yourself), keep these tips in mind:
Use bullet points instead of paragraphs, bullets are easier to read while offering plenty of detail about what makes YOU unique!
Keep font sizes consistent throughout all sections make sure all headers use a 16-point font size or larger so that they stand out from the text below them but aren’t too large either! Should probably also say “italicize” not “underline” here since italics might be hard to read…
Research The Company Online
Researching a company before you apply for a job there is one of the most important things you can do, and it’s easy to do. Use the internet to find out more about the company in general.
You want to know what industries they’re in, how long they’ve been around, and whether or not they’ve won any awards or recognition.
Then look at their CSR profile that is, corporate social responsibility, and see if any initiatives seem particularly interesting or relevant to your interests.
For example: If you think climate change is an issue worth addressing through activism and advocacy work as opposed to simply signing petitions online or making donations every year on Earth Day then look for companies with strong environmental policies and support for green energy initiatives.
Do Some Background Research On The Hiring Manager Or Team Leader
You want to make sure that the hiring manager or team leader knows what they’re doing. To do this, you need to research their background. Do this by looking up the hiring manager on LinkedIn or searching for articles they’ve written (and read those articles).
For example, if you don’t know anything about the company’s mission and values, it could be a red flag if the hiring manager doesn’t mention them during your interview or when talking about his/her career journey.
Conclusion
If you follow the tips above, you will have a great start to your journey. Be patient and don’t give up! Remember that there are many ways of getting a job as a financial consultant, and this article has just touched on some of them.
The most important thing is to keep up-to-date with industry news and practice your skills in mock interviews with friends or colleagues who have been through the process themselves.
And make sure that you feel confident about yourself when it comes time for an interview or face-to-face meeting with hiring managers at their offices.
