Does becoming a CFP / wealth advisor sound like the right career for me?
First off, sorry for another post from someone who isn’t even in the field yet asking about becoming a CFP lol. I’m 18 and trying to figure out if this career actually fits me and what I should be doing now if it does.
My current plan is to start community college online, transfer after about 2 years to a university for Finance, and eventually become a CFP. Long term, I’d like to work in financial planning/wealth management, become a good advisor, build a book of clients, and eventually own or buy into an RIA in the Greater Boston area.
What attracts me to the career is that I genuinely enjoy personal finance, investing, taxes, retirement planning, and learning how people can make better financial decisions. I also really like working with people, building relationships, and the sales/business-development side of things. The idea of eventually having my own clients and building a practice is probably what interests me most.
Obviously, I know the career probably looks different from the outside, which is one of the main reasons I’m posting. Based on that, does this sound like a career that would be a good fit for me? What are the biggest things about actually being an advisor that I might not realize yet?
I’m also trying to figure out what I should be doing from 18–22 besides just getting the degree.
Right now I do title/public-record research, and I’ve considered reaching out to RIAs or independent advisors to offer part-time help with things like prospecting/appointment setting, client or prospect research, CRM work, admin work, etc. I eventually want to practice in Greater Boston, so I’ve also wondered if I should specifically start networking with advisors there now.
A few other things I’d love advice on:
What jobs/internships would you prioritize during college?
Would reaching out directly to smaller RIAs for part-time work actually be worthwhile?
Is there any reason to take the SIE or pursue other licenses while I’m young?
What skills should I be learning outside of school?
What type of firm would you recommend starting at after graduation?
How important is learning sales/prospecting and eventually building a book?
Is there anything you wish you had done at 18–22 that would’ve helped your career later?
I’m not expecting to graduate and immediately make a ton of money or start my own RIA. My goal is more to use the next several years to become genuinely good at financial planning, understand the business side of wealth management, and set myself up to eventually build something of my own.
If you were 18 again and wanted to eventually become a CFP and own an RIA, what would you do differently, and does my current direction make sense?