So it’s officially been a year since I jumped off the estate agency ship and landed on my feet in the world of investments with WKM Wealth… and what a year it’s been! I have had the privilege of experiencing so many new things in the past year that has built my knowledge and pushed me way out of my comfort zone. I’ve also met and had the privilege of building relationships with lots of amazing people – my colleagues of course but also our lovely clients and other professionals we work with. These people have made the past year all the more enjoyable.

Ongoing exam pathway

One of the main reasons I decided estate agency was no longer for me was the lack of need for study and career progression. Therefore, the steep learning curve that this career has brought has been a very welcome change. I passed my first exam last year which was an amazing achievement for me as I hadn’t taken an exam since my GCSEs (as my A Level exams were cancelled because they were due to take place in June 2020!), so I was definitely very nervous but I threw myself into the studying and it felt amazing when the word ‘PASS’ appeared on my screen after sitting the exam. I am currently studying for my next exam and hoping to take that this Spring. Personally, I find exams force me to study and learn which makes me build my knowledge and understanding, allowing me to be able to do my job better and progress myself which I just love.

WKM Investment Events

Another aspect I have really enjoyed has been our two investment events we held last year. At the first one, I had only been with WKM for two weeks, so it was a little overwhelming trying to talk to lots of people I had never met before, but the clients who attended were lovely and it was overall a memorable experience. At the second event, I knew a bit more about investments so listening to the speakers was really interesting and I felt a lot more comfortable socialising with everybody that attended. I’m looking forward to more events we are going to hold, the next one being a more financial planning focused event in May. I have also been to a lot of events and conferences held by firms we invest with which are also interesting to hear lots of different viewpoints and funds.

Journey of development

It’s a continuous journey of development where I find building confidence is a key element. It was difficult for the first few months as everything was so new to me and even the most basic of things seemed so complicated. But as time goes by, it has got easier. I still feel like I only know the tip of the iceberg and I often don’t understand things still, but that’s what makes it exciting, knowing there is so much more to come. It’s been a bit of a challenge for me to build my confidence as I doubt myself and feel like I know practically nothing compared to everybody else, but deep down I know that’s not true, and I am still learning every day. A major jump for me was taking part in the weekly update videos we make for our clients as being in front of the camera was, and still is, massively out of my comfort zone. However, the encouragement from my wonderful colleagues helped me feel confident enough to push myself to do it. Now I do them every week with Ben and each time it feels slightly less nerve-wracking.

My main goals for the next year are: to pass my exams to get my Investment Advice Diploma, meet more clients in client meetings, feel more confident with and learn more about the details of funds, and bake more cakes for the office!

So, here’s to the first year and bring on year two! Can’t wait to see what it has in store for me!