At New Planner Recruiting, we often work with candidates who have gone to school for financial planning and have known that was their career path since their early internships. That is not the only path, though. We also work frequently with career changers and are always asked by career changers for some assistance in making the change. 

Last summer, we wrote about harnessing transferable skills and showing your commitment to the career change. Today, we are going to expand upon those transferable skills by looking at common fields we see career changers come out of. Here is a breakdown of how specific backgrounds translate into elite financial planning performance.

Education: From Lesson Plans to Financial Plans

Teachers are perhaps the most natural fit for modern financial planning. The industry has moved away from selling products toward coaching behavior.

• • The Transferable Skill: Complex Simplification. A middle school teacher who can explain the nuances of the Civil War to a distracted 13-year-old has the exact skill needed to explain financial planning recommendations to confused clients.
  • The Tactical Edge: Curriculum Design. Financial planning is essentially a multi-year curriculum for a client’s life. Teachers excel at setting learning objectives (goals), checking for understanding, and pivoting their approach when a student (or client) is struggling to grasp a concept.

• Relevant Podcast: Teacher Turned Financial Planner with Keith Wayne

The Engineer: Building Stress-Tested Futures

Engineers often worry they aren't "social" enough for planning. However, the modern client, particularly in tech hubs, is more skeptical and data-driven than ever. They want a navigator they can trust.

• • The Transferable Skill: Stress-Testing & Redundancy. Engineers think in terms of failure points. When building a financial plan, they don't just look at the average return; they look at the "Monte Carlo" simulation to see what happens if the market drops 30% in year one of retirement.
  • The Tactical Edge: Systematic Optimization. Engineers love the Tech Stack. They are often the first to master complex planning software like eMoney or RightCapital, using it to find small efficiencies in tax planning that add up to massive gains for the client.

• Relevant Podcast: Engineer to Certified Financial Planner with Justin Rice

The Military Veteran: Discipline Under Fire

The financial markets are volatile, and client emotions can be even more so. Veterans bring a level of emotional regulation and procedural discipline that is invaluable.

• • The Transferable Skill: Mission-First Thinking. In the military, the mission comes first. In planning, the "Mission" is the client’s long-term security. Veterans are uniquely capable of staying focused on the objective when short-term "noise" (like a geopolitical crisis) threatens to derail the plan.
  • The Tactical Edge: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). High-growth firms struggle with scalability. Veterans are masters of creating and following SOPs, ensuring that every client gets the same high-quality experience every time.

• Relevant Podcast: Leading Marines to Leading Financial Planning Meetings with Andy Blacker

Your Experience is Your Edge

The technical side of financial planning is the "easy" part. You can learn that in your CFP course work or other studies. The harder part is the "human" side: the ability to lead, to explain, to listen, and to stay calm when everyone else is panicking. If you’ve spent the last decade doing that in a different uniform or a different office, you aren't "starting over." You are simply applying your expertise to a new set of problems and you can make this transition!

Would you like us to review your current resume and help you translate your specific experience into Financial Planning terms? Email us at candidate@newplannerrecruiting.com or submit your resume here once it is complete!

 

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