Ep #24: Moving Across the Country to Get the Job of Your Dreams with Coleburn Spence

Coleburn Spence is a financial advisor at Soundview Advisors in Seattle, Washington, and he joins the show today to share what ignited his passion for financial planning at the young age of 15. He also opens up about why he chose to attend a university that had a CFP program—but not declare financial planning as his major right away—and how he pivoted when he was striking out in the two job markets he had targeted prior to graduation to find his first firm.

Listen in to learn what criteria Coleburn set for the dream position he was seeking, what resources he used to connect with firms, and what actions he took when he identified potential firms he wanted to work for. You'll hear about the interview process for the firm that ultimately hired him, as well as great advice for aspiring financial planners.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

How Coleburn developed a passion for finance at age 15. (2:17)
How he found his first financial planning position. (7:47)
His experience at his first firm and why he left. (11:03)
The benefits of learning while working and knowing what motivates you. (12:45)
How Coleburn's second career position search went and how he went about it. (15:28)
The process of joining a new firm and the importance of taking initiative. (22:00)
Coleburn’s best advice for aspiring planners. (30:39)

Ideas Worth Sharing:

“I noticed that when I was working and being a student, that’s when I was thriving the most.” - Coleburn Spence Share on X “Ultimately, looking through my life and looking at what I wanted to do, I realized that it was so important to surround myself with people who believed in me.” - Coleburn Spence Share on X “You’re not going to get all the opportunities in the world just by waiting for them, so taking initiative sets you apart and gets you a long way.” - Coleburn Spence Share on X

Resources In Today's Episode:

Download your free copy of the New Planner Career Roadmap!

In this roadmap, you'll be guided through the details of various stages of your financial planner career, including position descriptions, licensing, skill and experience level requirements, and compensation ranges.