Key skills for fresh financial planners revealed

Financial advisers believe personal skills are the most important competency requirement for fresh entrants to the profession. Having the right attributes for successful social interaction is the key skill for those entering the profession, according to 70% of PFS members who responded to a social media poll in June.

Roughly a quarter of the 290 responses (68 financial planners) said technical knowledge was the most vital quality for those embarking on a career as a financial planner or paraplanner.

Computer literacy was cited as the highest-priority capability to have for those beginning their financial planning career by 3% of those surveyed and 4% felt literacy was the top skill fresh entrants needed to have on their first day in the profession.

Sarah Lord, president of the PFS, said: “Personal skills are an important attribute whatever role you undertake in our profession to work well with both colleagues and clients, but they are particularly important for the role of the financial planner.

“Strong technical knowledge and great personal skills are a powerful combination when working with clients.

“It is human nature for clients to want to work with individuals who are knowledgeable but the key is being able to translate

the knowledge acquired through qualifications and on-the-job learning into an easy, understandable form for clients.”

The Chartered Insurance Institute has spent more than a year interviewing and collating the views of more than 200 market and HR leaders to map the skills, knowledge and behaviours they believe businesses and individuals will need now and in the future.

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