What information is most helpful on a paraplanners/financial planning associates resume?
Eddy Ricci, Jr., CFP ®, CEPA ®: If you aren’t already a CFP, it is helpful to know what requirements are remaining to achieve. Is it a number of courses? Is it taking the comprehensive exam (and when)? Is all the education passed but they haven’t met the hours requirement? In addition, sharing the average number of plans you were creating per month (and how many advisors you supported) can help employers understand if you were creating plans at high volume or with more research and customization. (Note: One isn’t necessarily “better” than the other and will usually be viewed differently depending on firm need).
Michael P. Connaughton, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®: A financial planning professional can stand out by highlighting specific planning areas they focus on and tools they leverage. Is the client base you serve primarily a specific demographic that is typically focused on a few key planning areas? Then say you’re helping affluent pre-retirees with investment, tax, and estate planning. Are you utilizing or have utilized in the past financial planning software to develop a strategy, track progress, and make changes when needed? List that you’re adept in eMoney, MoneyGuidePro, RightCapital, Asset-Map or Orion. To further demonstrate your skill set allude that you can furnish a sample financial plan to present by request in the interview process.