FPSC_Recruitment_Brochure

WANTED INTELLIGENT, PERSONABLE INDIVIDUALS SEEKING A FLEXIBLE, FINANCIALLY REWARDING CAREER HELPING PEOPLEACHIEVE THEIR LIFE GOALS.

Developing, promoting and enforcing professional standards in financial planning for the benefit of all Canadians. Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC®) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to seeing Canadians improve their lives by engaging in financial planning. Currently, there are more than 17,500 CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals in Canada and more than 133,000 CFP certificants in 23 countries worldwide.

November 2011BRC-RECT1.0

CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and are certification trademarks owned outside the U.S. by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB). Financial Planning Standards Council is the marks licensing authority for the CFP marks in Canada, through agreement with FPSB. FPSC, FPSC and logo and Financial Planning Standards Council are trademarks of Financial Planning Standards Council. ©2011 Financial Planning Standards Council. All rights reserved.

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FINANCIALPLANNINGSTANDARDSCOUNCIL®FP

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Financial Planning Standards Council902-375 University AvenueToronto, ON M5G 2J5

Telephone: 416 593 8587Toll Free: 1 800 305 9886Email: [email protected]: www.fpsc.ca

Become a financial planner and help people achieve their life goals!If you answered “yes” to any of the questions on this page, a career as a financial planner may be the right fit for what you want. You may be asking yourself, “Isn’t that career all about numbers?” While that is one important element, there are many other aspects to financial planning.

Think of financial planners as personal navigators in life. As a financial planner, you’ll meet people, ask questions and help them figure out where they are now and where they want to be in 10, 20 or even 50 years.

You’ll create plans for your clients and support them in reaching their life goals through managing their financial assets. You may help your family, friends or even neighbours.

At the end of the day, you’ll gain satisfaction in knowing that you’ve made a difference in your clients’ lives.

Some of the life goals you’ll help people accomplish could be:

• Buying a home;

• Ensuring a backup plan in the event of an emergency, like illness or job loss;

• Planning for retirement;

• Making sure loved ones are taken care of;

• Balancing today’s lifestyle demands with long-term life goals; or

• Worrying less about their money.

Financial planning is a career that is in demand now and will continue to be in the future! This profession values the potential of people like you. Almost half of today’s CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional population are nearing retirement age, which means there will be a gap to be filled by new planners. Retirement presents another opportunity for new planners: With a $41 trillion dollar wealth transfer between Baby Boomers and their children and grandchildren expected to occur in the next century, financial planners will provide crucial tax and estate planning advice.

Consider this:Career Profiles projected a growth of 30 per cent for financial advisors from 2008 to 2018**. And a recent Canadian Living article listed “financial manager” in its list of 10 hottest professions that are in demand, citing the high employment rate***.

Certification: demonstrate your commitment to being the bestDespite the fact that financial planning is currently unregulated throughout most of Canada (this means that anyone can call himself a “financial planner”!), employers and clients are increasingly asking for credentials, such as CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification. CFP certification is the most widely recognized financial planning designation in Canada and represents the highest standards of competence, ethics and practice.

Many employers these days are asking for CFP certification as a requirement for jobs like “financial consultant” or “investment advisor”, and many are also willing to help you earn it. Some companies offer cash incentives for completing the program while others help pay for certification- or examination-related costs. Some employers even pay for your annual license renewal fees!

What’s in it for you?Along with providing peace of mind to your employer and clients, there are compensation benefits to earning certification; certified planners often earn more than those who are not. Fifty per cent* of CFP professionals in Canada earn more than $100,000 per year.

**Source: Career Profiles, 2006-11 http://www.careerprofiles.info/fastest-growing-careers.html***Source: Canadian Living, 2010 http://www.canadianliving.com/life/work/canadas_10_hottest_jobs.php

Want to see just how valuable a financial planner is? Want to witness a financial planner in action?

Read on! TURN THE PAGE!

Exponential growth opportunities

see the tangible results of your efforts?

work with peopleand buildclose relationships?

earn a good salary?

gain professional skills you can use in your own life?

do you want to...

is in high demand?

allows you to work for a company - or be your own boss?

rewards creativity and thinking outside of the box?

allows you to be a part of a professional community?

are youlooking fora careerthat...

Chart your own course – as an entrepreneur or with a reputable firmA career as a financial planner gives you the flexibility to either be your own boss or work for a leading financial institution. These reputable companies are the top employers* of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals.

*Statistics from FPSC’s Profile of the Profession, February 2011; companies are listed alphabetically

Assante

BMO

CIBC

Credential

Desjardins

Dundee

Edward Jones

Freedom 55

FundEx

HSBC

Investors Group

IPC

Manulife

MD Financial

National Bank

Raymond James

RBC

Scotiabank

Sun Life Financial

TD

FINANCIAL PLANNING IN ACTION

the firstmeeting

some yearslater

15 yearslater

many years have

passed

Are you still wondering what type of work financial planners do? We can show you!Jane, a 22-year-old recent graduate, just landed her first full-time job. She wants to make the most of her money, enjoy her life and still pay off her loans. Jane’s mother refers her to Maria, a CFP® professional who’s worked with their family for years. Watch their relationship unfold throughout the years. Maria prospers with a larger team, more direct reports and a new office. You will also see the positive effect that a financial planner can have on a client in both good and bad times, and how loyalty is built over the years in this professional relationship. How does Maria help Jane realize and achieve her short- and long-term goals? What kind of an impact does planning have on Jane’s life? Read our graphic novel to find out!

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Myth 1

Myth 2

Myth 3

Myth 5

Myth 4

DEBUNKINGMYTHS

Still unsure whether financial planning is right for you? Let’s bust some of the common myths and misconceptions about being a financial planner.

You need a finance or business degree to become a financial planner.False! In reality, financial planners come from many different educational backgrounds such as science, communications, the arts, or engineering. Your diversity can be your biggest asset! The industry values many of the skills developed in studies outside of finance or business. For example, financial planners need to be great communicators – English or Journalism graduates can use these skills to their advantage.

You’ll be working a monotonous job.False! Every day brings different people, challenges and rewards. You’ll be far from bored. Some days, you may work alone. Others, you will work with people. There’s plenty of variety in and out of the office.

You’ll be too busy to have a good work-life balance.False! One of the best things about a career as a financial planner is the flexibility. You can work for a large international financial services company, a smaller local establishment, or even start your own business and be your own boss. Often, you can plan your own hours. It’s also a great career for women who want to raise families and need extended period of absences.

Any financial designation will help me succeed in my career as a planner.False! There is an ‘alphabet soup’ of designations in the industry today, but CFP certification is the most widely-recognized financial planning designation by Canadian consumers and employers alike. Although you will need licenses to sell mutual funds and stocks, the CFP marks represent knowledge of the depth and breadth of financial planning. The CFP designation differentiates you from other advisors and is a stamp of credibility and competence. It will give you the confidence you need when you meet with a client or employer. Choose wisely – choose CFP certification!

You’ll find it difficult to get a job in financial planning when the economy is shaky.False! The demand for strategic and holistic wealth management in Canada is on the rise, and this is especially true during a recession when people want to be assured they are being taken care of. Clients look to financial planners for advice on savings and investment strategies in turbulent markets.

Don’t just take our word for it: A 2011 The Globe and Mail article listed “financial planner” as one of the nine careers that actually thrive during a recession.

If you’re in high school:

• Take electives such as English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Business & Management, Marketing, Statistics, Accounting, Calculus or Economics.

• Speak to your guidance counselor for advice.

• Research university/college programs in Finance, Financial Planning, Financial Services, Accounting or Economics.

• Visit www.fpsc.ca to learn more about becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional.

If you’re on another career path and looking for a change:

• Consider taking a Core Curriculum program leading to CFP certification either online or at a local educational institution.

• If you work for a financial services company, look for financial planning career opportunities within your organization.

• If you do not work for a financial services company, look for opportunities at a financial services organization that puts a high priority on employee education.


If you’re in university:

• Speak to an academic advisor.

• Find out what courses/electives you can take to cover the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification Core Curriculum requirement.

• Look for internship opportunities through which you can gain personal financial planning experience.

• Start networking! Talk to people who are working in the financial services industry.


GET STARTED TODAY!So, you’re interested in becoming a financial planner? Here’s what you can do to start moving towards a fulfilling career.

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What are you waiting for? A rewarding future awaits!“Virtually every study on job fulfillment… rates the business of financial planning advice as a very fulfilling career choice. Think about it: it’s financially rewarding, you profoundly impact the lives of your clients, it is intellectually stimulating – all you have to do is add ‘long walks on the beach’ and it’s a pretty cool personal ad.”

Mark Tibergien, CEOPershing Advisor Solutions

WANTED INTELLIGENT, PERSONABLE INDIVIDUALS SEEKING A FLEXIBLE, FINANCIALLY REWARDING CAREER HELPING PEOPLEACHIEVE THEIR LIFE GOALS.

Developing, promoting and enforcing professional standards in financial planning for the benefit of all Canadians. Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC®) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to seeing Canadians improve their lives by engaging in financial planning. Currently, there are more than 17,500 CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals in Canada and more than 133,000 CFP certificants in 23 countries worldwide.

November 2011BRC-RECT1.0

CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and are certification trademarks owned outside the U.S. by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB). Financial Planning Standards Council is the marks licensing authority for the CFP marks in Canada, through agreement with FPSB. FPSC, FPSC and logo and Financial Planning Standards Council are trademarks of Financial Planning Standards Council. ©2011 Financial Planning Standards Council. All rights reserved.

®

®


SC

®


SC

Financial Planning Standards Council902-375 University AvenueToronto, ON M5G 2J5

Telephone: 416 593 8587Toll Free: 1 800 305 9886Email: [email protected]: www.fpsc.ca

Documents

FPSC_Recruitment_Brochure