Financial Adviser
What the work is
Develops, prepares and implements financial plans and investment strategies for individuals or organisations, and advises on investment strategies, cash management, insurance, retirement and estate planning, real estate and wealth management.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Interviews prospective clients to determine financial status and objectives, discuss financial options, and develop financial plans and investment strategies
- Sets financial objectives, and develops and implements strategies for achieving the financial objectives
- Monitors investment performance, and reviews and revises financial plans and investment strategies based on modified needs and changes in markets
- Arranges to buy and sell financial products for clients
- May refer clients to other organisations to obtain services outlined in financial plans, such as welfare entitlements, superannuation and aged care arrangements
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small independent financial advice practice in a regional town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A couple finally understand their plan and say they can sleep at night
- A young family sees that their goal is closer than they thought
- A client you steered away from a rash move thanks you years later
Hard days
- A client wants a promise about the future, and no honest person can give one
- Markets fall and your phone fills with worried calls
- Careful file notes and compliance paperwork after a full day of meetings
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 212131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.