Ep #111: From CFP Program to Paraplanner Role with Rose Porter and Jennifer Anderson

Jennifer Anderson is the co-owner at McClarren Financial Advisors based out of State College, PA, and she joins the show today with paraplanner Rose Porter to discuss the ins and outs of hiring new paraplanners right out of school. If you are joining a small RIA firm directly after graduating from a CFP program, this is definitely an episode you won’t want to miss!

Listen in as Jennifer shares the “why” behind her firm seeking to hire new paraplanners out of school, how they executed a successful search strategy by reaching out to local CFP programs, and what made them interested in Rose as a potential candidate. You'll also hear Rose discuss the biggest challenges and fears she had coming out of school and starting in the paraplanner role, her tips for new planners seeking to get hired, and why she knew that her current firm was the right fit for her.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

The status of McClarren Financial Advisors. (2:30)
Why they hire paraplanners right out of school. (5:15)
Why Rose chose financial planning as a career. (7:15)
What she was looking for in a firm. (11:15)
Some of the ways she weeded out the sales roles during the hiring process. (13:55)
What it means to be a paraplanner at McClarren. (17:00)
How McClarren deals with recruiting in a small town. (20:00)
The biggest challenge Rose faced coming out of school. (21:25)
What it was like hiring, onboarding, and training during a pandemic. (29:00)
Tips for new planners looking to get hired. (40:30)

Ideas Worth Sharing:

“Quite frankly, in this field, you can train anybody if they have great service skills.” - Jennifer Anderson Share on X “There is opportunity for ownership in our firm after 5 years.” - Jennifer Anderson Share on X “I knew that I had to set myself apart.” - Rose Porter Share on X

Resources In Today's Episode:

Jennifer Anderson: LinkedIn
Rose Porter: LinkedIn
Michael Engdahl
Financial Planning Association
Drake Tax
Ep #101: Setting Yourself Apart with Angie Herbers

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