Career change advice needed - Mortgage Broker

kingstreet

I've written three replies so far and deleted them.

I need to think about this further.

csgohan4

kingstreet wrote: »

I've written three replies so far and deleted them.

I need to think about this further.

that should be evident enough OP

dunstonh

Funny thing is that I wrote a reply and then gave up and removed it. My sentiment is much the same.

It seems a bit hypocritical as I earn a very very good living which gives a very good lifestyle. However, how I got to the position I am in today was a route that is no longer available and included times that are no longer the same. Plus, it was with a sacrifice at a personal level that I regret now (but can do nothing about).

middleclassbutpoor

I am not an adviser but have given advice historically and hold the qualifications for both a financial and mortgage adviser.

I would never go into the world of being an adviser having found out that it requires a lot to be successful and you need to be of a certain personality type.

The role takes a lot of personal sacrifice and as regulation has taken over, the role is becoming more difficult to do.

I am pretty lucky in that I have a role now where I can utilise my experience as an Adviser and my qualifications and do a job that I really enjoy which allows me to earn a decent living and not have to deal with customers or think about work from the minute I shut down my laptop. Holidays are just that, weekends are my own and I get to work very flexibly in terms of location.

Whilst this isn't my area, if financial services does attract you then there are careers in things like Financial Crime/Compliance/Risk that would get you to a level of earnings within a reasonable amount of time if you can work hard. You would always likely remain employed but there are usually contracting opportunities.

Another area which may give you an ability to contract is being a project manager - if you can get into that area, you can earn a lot of money in both these areas when you have some experience.

glosoli

The hours are long, it is not uncommon I would login at 9am, go home at 5pm, and then login at 6pm from home until around 11pm, every night of the week. Not to mention logging in Saturdays and Sundays to do full shifts of administration. It can be difficult to achieve a good work/life balance.

1) The time commitment is a lot. There are other jobs out there which you can earn more for less work.
2) The regulation in the background is getting stricter and stricter.
3) You can put many hours into an application, only for it to "fail" at compliance stage because you forgot to copy and paste wording

Don't get me wrong, it can be rewarding, but contrast this to my brothers job, he earns more than I do, and works barely half the hours, without the continuous stress and worry. If you are at the point in life where you are looking for a different path, keep your options open, that's all I can say.

haras_nosirrah

I agree with the long hours - I sent my first emails at 4:30 this morning (not working today as have the kids) and will then be putting them in creche for 2 hours around lunch time as have bits to do and then am working again this evening.

dunstonh

I am still known to be doing suitability reports and emailing clients gone midnight. Although I do not do evening appointments any more. Work on Saturday and Sunday is common and I havent had a holiday in 5 years. The odd long weekend is about as much a break I have seen. All my employees manage a holiday and tell me I should. Usually just before they add to my workload that prevents me from taking a holiday!

James1874

Hey guys also looking for advice. I am looking to undergo Cemap training then pursue a career as a mortgage advisor. Since I took out my mortgage I have took a massive interest in them and love helping people so it seems like a good direction to go in. I have no experience in the finance industry, I currently work as a customer service advisor at British gas and I am 28 years old. If I pass the Cemap what would you advise to be the next steps? Do you think I will be able to start applying for jobs? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

amnblog

I’ve been in the business 26 years and would start again today either.

Why?

Regulation and claims culture. In particular what is perfectly valid today can be judged poor advice years later with benefit of hindsight and that risk is always there.

A smart, hard worker can set up a profitable business in many industries quicker, easier, and safer, without the complications we have to manage.