Ep #50: Transitioning from a Financial Planner Practitioner to a Financial Planning Professor with Jared Pickens

Dr. Jared Pickens is the Director of Applied Economics at Texas A&M University - Commerce, and he joins the show today to share why he pivoted away from a teaching and football career to get his start in the financial planning industry. If you’re on the fence about whether a lead financial planner position is the right fit for you, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Listen in as Jared shares his reasons for changing his major and moving away from his aspirations to be a history teacher and football coach, how he was able to convince a firm owner to hire him, and his biggest fears as a new planner. We also discuss why he made the transition to academia full-time, what he likes most about his job now, and what separates the top 10% of his students from the rest of the pack.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

How Jared got started in financial planning. (2:20)
How he got a firm owner to hire him despite wanting someone with more experience. (6:55)
What it was like going from student to planner with a lot of responsibility. (10:30)
Jared’s biggest fear as a new planner. (13:50)
Why he left his first firm (15:10)
How he got started in academia. (18:20)
What the salary is like in academia. (21:20)
What the top 10% of Jared’s students have that others don’t. (25:00)
How you can improve your written and communication skills. (28:15)

Ideas Worth Sharing:

“The smaller firm is beautiful, but it is a double-edged sword.” - Jared Pickens Share on X “This profession is all about being proactive.” - Jared Pickens Share on X “I always had a teacher’s heart.” - Jared Pickens 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.