Getting hired in the right firm and succeeding in your career can be challenging, Here are some tips to keep top of mind as you enter another year and another opportunity to continue improving upon your craft and succeeding in your career.

• I realize it will be fairly easy for me to secure a position based on the current financial market lofty levels and dearth of talent, but I am not interested in being handed something I have not had to hustle for. Without hustle I will fail in this profession.
• I will strive to increase my maturity and professionalism so that I perform beyond my years.
• I will go above and beyond the minimum requirements for the position and the tasks that someone delegates to me.
• I will be aware that I am unproved and that the person who hires and/or mentors me is taking a risk, and that I am far from knowing all I need to know to be a successful financial planner even though I have a degree in financial planning.
• I will work to show firm owners I am serious about the financial planning profession and becoming a financial planner in order to reduce their risk in hiring and mentoring me.
• I will remember that my firm owner shouldn’t have to repeat themselves about fixing a mistake that I have made or to keep it from happening again.
• I will be humble and respectful in any ideas I provide to my firm owner, especially if they are unsolicited.
• I will understand that my firm owner’s career path is different than mine and I might not survive in the business if it weren’t for their success and the opportunity they are providing.
• I will never be satisfied with the status quo and will always push to better myself, the organization I am a part of, and the client’s assets that I am responsible for.
• I will go to my firm owner on a regular basis to ask how I am progressing, if I am meeting expectations, if there are other more complicated things I can work on to assist the organization, and if not, what areas I need to improve in to increase the comfort level in delegating me higher level work.
• I will go to my firm owner to let them know about any career doubts I might be having, plans for resigning to take extended time off, or any other major decisions that could negatively impact them so they can make the necessary arrangements so no interruptions to their business and clients.
• I will be sensitive to the fact that this is not my business and that the firm owner has the final say, even if it is a decision with which I disagree.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy New Year!