Financial Planners

Check out the financial planning information available on the Internet to familiarize yourself with the terms used in the industry. Professional financial planning associations are good sources of information. You should also take as many finance and business classes as possible. Talking to financial planners will also help you gather information on the field. Ask your school counselor or math or business teacher to help arrange an interview. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What type of software do you use to do your work? What do you like most and least about your job? How did you train for this field? What are some key skills for success? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How will advances in technology change the field? Perhaps you could even job-shadow a financial planner to learn even more about the field.

Participate in investment clubs, competitions, and activities during high school and college to develop your stock-picking skills. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania offers the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition, a free, global, online investment challenge for high school students and teachers. Visit https://globalyouth.wharton.upenn.edu/competitions/investment-competition to learn more. In addition, the Wharton School offers seven Wharton Global Youth Investing Workshops that cover investing basics. Workshops include Investing Strategies; Technical Analysis; Managing Risk in Your Portfolio; and Portfolio Management. Videos of the workshops can be viewed on https://globalyouth.wharton.upenn.edu/competitions/investment-competition/learning-resources/#workshops.