Next Generation Planner: May 2021
The FPA NexGen community weighs in on how their participation in the 2020 FPA Externship program impacted their career. The 2021 FPA Externship will take place from June 7 through July 30. Register today at fpaexternship.org.
The FPA Externship opened a huge door. It’s a combination of networking and a crash course on financial planning. You meet people from all parts of the financial planning world—from fintech, founders and financial coaches! For me, I was able to land an internship with Luis F. Rosa, founder of Build a Better Financial Future, who was one of the speakers in the FPA Externship. Connecting with Luis was an absolutely pivotal point in my career trajectory as he mentored me as an intern directly after the FPA Externship program. My advice? Connect with all speakers that you resonate with and come ready to learn.
Justin Huynh
Adviser Success Intern, XY Planning Network
As a career changer, I was not familiar with the financial planning industry. The FPA Externship provided me the opportunity to learn about the holistic approach to financial planning. I learned of prominent financial planning leaders and gained an inside look as to how and why they are successful. The FPA Externship allowed me to gain functional knowledge of financial planning software platforms. Most importantly, the FPA Externship introduced me to the financial planning community, which helped me make valuable connections that I cherish as someone who is a newbie to the industry.
Emi Gjini
CFP® Candidate
The FPA Externship gave me a broad exposure to the field and the chance to learn from experts. The flexible scheduling, virtual structure and low price point made this experience accessible to me in a way that a traditional internship wouldn’t have been. As someone transitioning from a very different industry to financial planning, this experience has helped me communicate to potential employers my seriousness about entering this field. I’ve noticed that the job applications I submit are more likely to lead to interviews now that the FPA Externship is on my resumé.
My strongest takeaway from the Externship was the confirmation that this is a growing field with so many exciting possibilities for innovation, and it needs everyone’s voices to grow into its full potential. Seizing on that momentum, immediately after the Externship ended, I enrolled in an online certificate program in financial planning and expect to graduate in April. I’m eager to enter the practice of financial planning and grateful to the FPA Externship for galvanizing my career.
Kate Sumner
Aspiring Financial Planner
Months later, I still continue to see the positive impact that the FPA Externship has had on my career as a financial planner. Not only have I been able to utilize the software and training that the program introduced me to, but I have also continued to build relationships with fellow attendees—both personally and professionally. Perhaps most importantly, by implementing some of the processes and suggestions made by the guest speakers—esteemed financial planners themselves—into my own practice, my clients have also greatly benefited.
Jay Boekeloo, CFP®
Lead Adviser for Veterinary Services Professionals
The Externship created an environment that gave me easy, direct access to a wide variety of advisers. It also highlighted how many different career paths I have to choose from in financial services. The homework gave me practical exercise in the work I’d experience in these paths. As a career changer, the Externship helped me to move from the mentality of an employee to that of a business owner.
Kristen M. Heller, CSRIC™
Financial Adviser, Baystate Financial
