Nursing a desire to make a difference

Like many starting their careers in financial planning, Brigitte Forbes chose paraplanning as a way to get her foot in the door.

However, she said this attitude changed as she came to realise the importance of her role to the industry.

“I started down the path of paraplanning thinking it would be a stepping-stone, but have recognised along the way the vital role I play in the financial planning industry,” she said.

She now views paraplanning as “a fantastic career that deserves recognition in its own right as a chosen profession rather than as a transition to becoming a financial planner”.

Forbes considers the services she and other paraplanners offer as being invaluable, as they play an integral role in the preparation of all Statements of Advice and Statements of Additional Advice for clients.

“The advisers I work with recognise my ability to provide sound technical strategies and to think outside the square,” she explained.

Forbes said she preferred the technical side of the business rather than “clinching a sale”, which she is more than happy to leave up to the advisers to accomplish.

“I’ll work in the background to help them get there by providing a fantastic strategy for their clients,” she said.

This real desire to help people was borne out of an entirely different field — nursing, which she entered into at age 17 because she “wanted to be able to help people and make a difference”.

“I decided to enrol in a nursing degree and completed a three year degree and five years working as a registered nurse,” Forbes said.

“I spent the majority of my time working in an oncology ward — the work was extremely rewarding and very demanding, but I needed something more.

“I decided I wanted to complete further study and came to the conclusion that I could become a highly trained nurse, working the same hours in the same specialty area, or I could take the opportunity to do something different.”

After a lot of research, Forbes decided to pursue a career in the finance industry and left nursing to begin a job at the Commonwealth Bank as a customer service officer.

“On the same day I started [at the Commonwealth Bank] I enrolled in the diploma of financial planning with Deakin University, and started working towards becoming a financial planner,” she said.

More than four years down the track and she is now a strategic wealth analyst with the financial services group at MacquarieBank, and feels confident she has chosen the perfect career for herself.

“After many years, and hours and hours of studying, I have found the job that makes me get out of bed in the morning,” she explained.

“I love what I do and I believe very few people today are able to make such a statement with the same conviction and belief.”

As part of her prize as national winner, Forbes will receive a trip for two people to the FPA’s Success Forum 2007 in Seattle, USA.

The Paraplanner of the Year Awards are supported by Australian Unity, Money Management, the Financial Planning Association and Tribeca.