Looking for advice from experienced LOs and operations professionals
I’m an MLO fairly early in my career, and I’m considering moving into a more behind the scenes mortgage role for a while before eventually returning to origination.
For context, I work for a brokerage where I’ve received very little formal training. I’m proud that I’ve managed to close four loans in my first four months, especially considering how much I’ve had to figure out on my own. But I also feel like I’m skating by rather than truly understanding the entire process.
I’ve learned that I need to understand the ins and outs and the “why” before I can confidently explain something to someone else. I can learn quickly and do hard things, but not knowing what’s happening behind the scenes causes me to constantly second guess myself.
One of my biggest concerns as an LO is not knowing what could cause a loan to fall apart. I want to understand what underwriting is looking for, what creates conditions or makes a loan ineligible, and what I could identify upfront to make the process smoother.
I’m considering roles such as junior underwriting, processing, disclosure, or another operations position so I can learn the technical side of the business firsthand. My hope is that understanding why loans get conditioned or denied and seeing how experienced people identify and mitigate issues would ultimately make me a much better LO.
Please don’t suggest that I simply stay an LO and “learn as I go.” I’ve pretty much made up my mind that, personally, I cannot effectively learn and operate at the same time when operating means presenting myself to borrowers as though I’m already an expert.
I don’t think I’m incapable of being an LO. I actually think I could eventually be very good at it. I just know that I need to build the technical foundation first so I can operate from a place of knowledge and confidence rather than uncertainty.
For those who have worked in both production and operations, which role would you recommend for someone wanting to build that foundation? Underwriting, processing, disclosure, closing, or something else?
And if you’ve made a similar transition, did working behind the scenes make you a better LO?
I’d really appreciate honest insight from anyone who has seen both sides of the business.