Why Working In Finance Might Actually Be Perfect For You

Why Working In Finance Might Actually Be Perfect For YouWhy Working in Finance Might Actually Be Perfect for You (Even If Youd Never Expect It To Be)The world of finance isnt just occupied by number-cruncherbeis and economists. In fact, financial services companies are among the fruchtwein innovative and customer-oriented, which is why they need such a broad range of talent to succeed.Sarah is a perfect example of this. She recently graduated with a degree in philosophy and has a passion for creative writingnow she works for financial services leader Fidelity Investments as a Customer Relationship Advocate.We spoke to Sarah about how she found her way into the finance worldand why working at Fidelity is a great opportunity to build a career (even if you never pictured yourself working in finance).How A Liberal Arts Degree Can Lead To Fidelity InvestmentsSarah is just a few months into her training at Fidelityand she loves her new role.Before coming to Fidelity, Sarah considered becom ing a teacher and worked in a retail leadership role, but she didnt feel that either of those were her calling.I wasnt sure, to be honest, where I wanted to go, Sarah tells us. Finance wasnt really on my radar at the time. I kind of always assumed that to be in finance you had to study finance, and that wasnt really something in my plan.Its definitely been kind of a 180 for me, she says. When she heard about the Customer Relationship Advocate role and saw that it was open to people of all academic and professional backgrounds, her mind started to change. Once she took the job and began the training program, she knew she had found something special.From Philosophy Major To Financial Guidance ProviderWhat I love the most about working here is just how great the training program is, Sarah says. Theres a lot of support. I spent the first month learning how to do the basic jobs. Now Im going through licensing. The goal of Customer Relationship Advocates is to help Fidelitys customers sol ve their problems and access the right tools and services needed to help accomplish their financial goals. Essentially, theyre the front line between the company and the customer. To be successful in the role, youll need both knowledge of Fidelity and its products as well as general financial services knowledge and a desire to help others plan and succeed.Its really kind of like being back in school, Sarah says. Its just getting paid to study and learn, which is amazing.Between in-person classes, an online textbook, and the shadowing of current Customer Relationship Advocates, Sarah and her cohort are picking up all the necessary skillsand seeing how their career at Fidelity could unfold in the future.All of this training is to get us to a point where were confident and comfortable helping people plan for their future, Sarah says.If Youre Willing to Work Hard, You Can Build an Amazing CareerBecause of the superb training program, Sarah feels the job is really accessible to anyone as long as theyre patient, persistent, and an excellent listener.Its about being able to ask the right questions to help them find the other options they might have, Sarah says. It really is available to anybody if youre willing to do the work.What was important to Fidelity were Sarahs other skillsones that had been with her throughout her life and career communication, the ability to educate others, and the capacity to learn quickly and thoroughly about new things.Sarah is excited about getting to combine her newfound knowledge of the financial industry with her customer-service mindset and people skills when she begins the Customer Relationship Advocate role in earnest. But even mora than the role, shes excited about a future at the company.Its about the opportunity that I see here at Fidelity, Sarah says. Its really a jumping-off point and way to open a career path for me.And with her time in the Customer Relationship Advocate role about to begin, the possibilities for Sarah are ju st about unlimited.Want to start your own nontraditional journey into the financial services industry? Learn more about finance and Fidelity on the WayUp blog