Becoming A Financial Advisor Essay​​​​​​​ Example

The transition into adulthood is difficult because there is so much out there to experience. There are ample opportunities in college as far as pursuing your degree and deciding on a career. I have had my degree in mind since my freshman year of high school, but the career aspect can almost be overwhelming. Double majoring in accounting and finance provides a variety of job opportunities for my future, so I took it upon myself to interview a finance professor who has had experience in many of the careers I am considering. Mr. Chris Chatwin has had experience as a financial consultant, forensic accountant, portfolio analyst, paraplanner, and tax accountant. His insight on these career paths has enlightened me on my options and which job fits me best. 

An essential factor in looking at a career is determining how many hours a week you will be working. I discovered that a public accountant could work up to 100 hours a week during tax season, and if you work for a large corporation, these hefty hours can last year-round. The deadlines in most accounting jobs are stringent, so I was not too surprised by this. According to Mr. Chatwin, public accountants also work in teams with their coworkers, which is not something that interests me. Public accounting also has a meager entry-level salary. I have not been too interested in being a public accountant, so this interview ruled it out as one of my top contenders. Mr. Chatwin also helped me understand what certification exams I should make an effort to take.

For example, the CPA, certified public accounting exam, is the top designation for an accountant. However, it is required to have 150 college credits and a few years of experience to take the exam. Therefore, it may not help me, considering I do not want to be a public accountant, so I most likely will not stress about taking the CPA early on. However, the CFE, certified fraud examiner exam, is an exam I certainly want to take because it is essential to becoming a forensic accountant, which is one of the career paths that interest me. Mr. Chatwin described forensic accounting as "looking for hidden clues to solve a puzzle," which made this career path even more interesting to me. He also made a few other career options seem super compelling.

Although a paraplanner and financial planner both sound super interesting, being a financial advisor caught my eye. Being a paraplanner would be exciting for me because you can do all the work of a financial planner, but you do not speak with the client. However, this may not feel as rewarding as being the financial planner who can be there and help their client have the best life they can. Financial advisors are like the fiduciaries of accountants; they work closely with tax accountants, attorneys, and insurance agents to oversee everything and ensure their client's finances go smoothly. Financial advisors are a mixture of financial planners, analysts, and paraplanners all in one. They need to know everything about their clients, from their values to their goals. 

I feel like all my options are super interesting; however, this interview helped narrow down my options to two primary careers: forensic accounting and financial advising. I have always been interested in forensic accounting, and this interview immensely reinforced that. Learning about financial advising was very enlightening to me. It helped me understand that I can make a difference in this field. The stigma around accounting is that they are boring pencil-pushers, but I hope to change that and make a difference for people. This interview has made me eager for my future, and I am excited to learn and grow throughout my career.