Tips for Education Options for Financial Services Careers

No one gets ahead in their career by standing still, waiting for things to happen. If you’re ready to take the next step in your financial services career, you likely are thinking about education, and whoa boy! There are a lot of options when it comes to education in this sector. 

Check out the internet and you’ll see so many options: certified financial planner courses, investment training, the Canadian Securities Course, insurance courses like fundamentals in insurance or the LLQP, ethics courses and so much more. The list really is nearly endless. So the big question is how do you choose what to enroll in and what to ignore? 

The answer is simple to understand even if it requires a bit of leg work to figure out. The course you take should be based on the next steps you want to see in your career. Do you want to become a financial planner? Taking education that leads to the CFP course (Certified Financial Planner Course) is a good choice. Looking to enhance the products you can offer clients and move off the teller line into more of an advisor role? Taking the CSC Course online (Canadian Securities Course) may be the way to go. If you’re looking for a career that includes insurance products, working towards the Life Licence Qualification Program (LLQP) would be a good option. 

Here are a few tips to help guide your education choices: 

Talk to people in the industry

There are a number of people who have gone before you in similar career paths. If you know where you want to end up (you want to be a CFP for example) you can seek out those who have successfully completed their CFP course and find out what their journey looked like. Where did they start? What worked for them? 

You’re going to want to learn about the pitfalls they encountered as well as the things that worked well. While some of these interactions will be one-offs, others may lead to informal mentoring situations where you can continue to ask questions as you progress through your education and your career. You’ll want to respect your mentor’s time and be grateful for the advice they give you while considering how it fits into your personal path and goals. 

Reach out to educational institutions 

Education institutions that have financial services programs are an excellent resource. Look for those who offer more than one financial-based program. For example. Ashton College has the Canadian Securities Course (The CSC Course is online), a Certified Financial Planner Course and FRM certification. Contacting the school and finding out what they offer as well as who teaches it can be helpful in guiding you to education decisions. Look up the courses, find out what they include and consider how they mesh with your goals and future plans. 

You’ll also want to look up the instructor bios to learn what their experience is and what makes them a good choice for delivering your education. It’s important that you have a strong fit in both content and instruction. 

Get to know what your employer will pay for

If your current employer has a reimbursement program for your education, you’ll want to seriously consider what’s included and get to know any limitations. If you’re on the teller desk, it’s unlikely your employer will foot the bill for a full Certified Financial Planner course. However, they may consider a Canadian Securities Course. Talk to your HR team to find out what steps and education are included in your current position and continue to move forward until you reach the point where taking the financial planner certification is an option. 

There are a lot of courses in the financial services arena and make no mistake, it can be overwhelming considering what to take first. Talk to others, research schools and see what your employer will pay for before making a decision.