This video series sees International Adviser chat with second careerist financial advisers to discuss their journey into the advice sector.
In the video above, Rebecca Burton talks about her move from being a commercial pilot to financial advice and the lessons she has learned from her transition into the sector.
Burton is now a financial planning consultant at Tim Smith Associates.
Transcript:
[Robbie Lawther] I’m Robbie Lawther, senior reporter for International Adviser. This is another instalment of ‘Why I Became a Financial Advisor’. We are joined by Rebecca Burton. The first question for you is what did you do before financial advice?
[Rebecca Burton] I was a commercial pilot working on a privately owned aircraft.
[RL] Rebecca, why did you join financial advice in the sector?
[RB] My previous job kind of meant I was always at somebody else’s beck and call, and it felt like it was time for me to take back control of my life. I have a young son and I wanted to be able to spend time with him without being at the expense of my career and being a self-employed financial advisor just seem to tick all the boxes. It gives me the flexibility to be a good mum to him while also allowing me to build a career which has great rewards.
[RL] Is there anything that surprised you about being a financial adviser?
[RB] I would say definitely how rewarding it actually is. I never thought I would get the same kind of buzz from a career as what I did when I was flying. But with this, it’s quite the contrary. Being able to help people achieve something that can make a real difference to their life is actually, you know, it’s a good feeling it gives you and just give you the buzz.
[RL] What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned since becoming a financial adviser?
[RB] I would say the importance of building a relationship with your clients and these people have end up being in your life for a very, very long time. They might even tell you things that they don’t even tell their own loved ones. So it’s kind of imperative that they trust you completely and feel completely at ease with you.
[RL] Thanks for joining us. Thanks for your time.
