“In order to secure a role you would obviously want to do a fair bit of research in regards to what is involved with the role and the whole property purchase process,” Sykes added.
Sykes also agreed that earning potential was a huge motivating factor for a career in advice.
“There are not many careers where you can progress from the average salary to what would definitely be considered an above average salary more similar to other professionals (accountants, solicitors, higher level doctors, etc.) within the first 5 years of your career,” he said.
But while the benefits are good as a mortgage broker, it is not easy sailing all of the time.
“If you enjoy working with numbers then it is a fantastic option as a career. Every day is different because every client is different and there are many aspects to the role like getting to know your clients and building a long term relationship with them,” Skyes said.
But he pointed out that he wished he knew about the long hours required before embarking as a career.
“You work as much as you want to earn and you have to be hungry if you want to excel in the field, so it isn’t unusual to have 60 plus hour weeks. It is a full on job so isn’t for the faint hearted.
“A client's dreams are in your hands and although rare, we’ve all had clients shouting at us or crying down the phone to us. Sometimes people don’t want to accept the facts or are about to lose a property with no way out of it so emotions can fly,” Sykes said.
Sykes's number one tip for any young person starting out is to “pre-load the effort”.
“Work as hard as you can while you are young with the hope that it pays dividends in the long term.”
Clear pathway
Another benefit of a career in finance is that it has a clear progression pathway according to Oakmere Wealth Management’s managing director and financial planner, Carla Brown.
Brown said: “The best way is to start from the ground up and work in a practice to get a feel for what the job entails. Shadow an existing planner and see how they do the job, then perhaps look at an apprenticeship or maybe a degree in financial planning.
"Hands on experience is the best way to see if the job really interests you and a good employer will support you through your professional development."
