Guide

Starting a career in Wealth Management & Financial Planning

Guide to starting a career in Wealth Management and Financial Planning

We get a lot of requests for trainee roles or advice for getting into the Wealth and Financial Planning sector. Often companies hire or train them themselves purely based on supply and demand of role and extra costs when using agencies. 

It can be competitive out there so you must stand out and keep trying. 

Here are some bullet points of advice that I usually give to candidates who are looking to step into Wealth Management. 

Your CV

Update your CV to state that you're looking to step across/pivot into Wealth Management/Financial Planning - make sure it's clear and obvious on your CV

Tailor your CV to showcase any existing skills which may be relevant to a role - think about soft skills such as admin/IT/well organised/communication skills etc

Include an additional section which details anything you've been doing in your spare time to increase/enhance your knowledge of Financial Planning/Wealth Management. This could be podcasts you've listened to, subscriptions, internships, voluntary experience etc

If you've completed any of the RO exams include these at the top of your CV.  If you haven't started, you could consider completing these one by one and self-funding.

Where to look

Get on the job boards and make your CV visible to companies by registering if you can. Sites to consider:

  • Reed

  • Google

  • Indeed

  • Total Jobs

  • Direct to companies

  • LinkedIn

  • Specialist sites

Creating a strong profile on the job boards and their databases, making yourself properly visible to all potential employers is a very good way to be found. 

Creating a strong LinkedIn profile; this is so important in this current market to make yourself stand out. Candidates need to have a clear and strong professional linkedin profile to again make themselves stand out.

For both job boards and LinkedIn consider use of relevant keywords (but not overly so), strong details and a well framed history.

Apply to as many Financial Services roles as you can.

Approach the local companies yourself, send them a copy of your CV and an introduction to yourself and your intentions to step into the sector.

  • Write a list of all the companies you want to approach in the chosen areas, including large nationals.

  • List them on a spreadsheet with Company and Contacts. You can find these through LinkedIn (make sure you have a good profile) and company sites. Sign up to Hunter or Rocket Reach for free email finding or call the company and ask for an email of the correct person.

  • Send a nice relevant intro, offer value and stating your aims.

  • Follow up with a call or email and ask for feedback if they decline.

  • List all your applications too.

Create a strong profile on the job boards, making themselves properly visible to all potential employers. I would also create a section on a LinkedIn profile, this is so important in this current market to make yourself stand out. Candidates need to have a clear and strong professional linkedin profile to again make themselves stand out 

Your Emails/Cover Letter

Consider the cover letters in three parts:

1. A personal/relevant intro based on something interesting eg. what you know about the company, experiences of the company, why the role interests you.

2. Talk about the skills and value you can bring (potential talk about your situation if you think it will help)

3. Ask to discuss further

Qualifications

  • CII Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning (Chartered Insurance Institute): Consists of 6 units covering investments, pensions, tax, and protection. 

  • LIBF Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA) (London Institute of Banking & Finance): Uses 6 modules and a practical coursework fact-find. 

  • CISI Investment Advice Diploma (IAD) (Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment): Focuses on three multiple-choice regulatory and investment exams.

Training programs

If your end goal is to become an adviser, have a look at the academy opportunities within the larger Wealth Management companies - SJP academy for example:

If you're looking for large financial planning firms in the UK that have structured adviser training academies or graduate training programmes, there are several worth investigating. The strongest options depend on whether you're looking to become a financial adviser from scratch, move into an adviser role from another financial services job, or develop as an experienced adviser.

I'd focus on firms that combine a sizeable adviser business with formal qualifications, supervised client experience, mentoring and a clear route to becoming a qualified Financial Planner.


Best firms to investigate

St. James’s Place (SJP)

Dedicated academy

One of the clearest matches. Its Financial Adviser Academy offers fully funded training, professional qualifications, practical client experience and mentoring. It accepts career changers as well as people who are already qualified. The route can lead to joining an established practice or building your own advice business.

Quilter

Dedicated academy

The Quilter Academy offers a structured route into financial advice, including Level 4 qualifications, adviser development, mentoring and supervised progression towards competent adviser status. It is particularly worth considering if you want support to establish an advice business within a large financial services group.

Evelyn Partners

A major wealth management and financial planning firm with a formal early-careers pathway. Its financial planning programme combines professional qualifications, learning from experienced practitioners, client-facing development and support towards becoming a Chartered Financial Planner. Particularly relevant for graduates seeking a more traditional employed professional career.


Other large firms worth investigating

These organisations are worth checking for trainee, graduate or paraplanner-to-adviser development opportunities. Their programmes may be structured differently from a dedicated academy.

Hargreaves Lansdown

Large UK investment and wealth services business; explore financial planning and advice career routes.

LGT Wealth Management

Wealth management, investment expertise and potential professional development pathways.

Rathbones

Established wealth manager with financial planning and investment management careers.

M&G Wealth

Large wealth business; explore adviser development and opportunities across its advice network.

Wren Sterling

Financial planning and advice group worth investigating for adviser training and career progression.

For these five, I would verify the current vacancy and training arrangements directly rather than assume they offer a dedicated academy equivalent to SJP or Quilter.


Good luck!