She said: “University life is a great experience for people, not only to gain independence, but also to grow and plan for their lives.
“Coming to the UK from a small island, Cyprus, was daunting to start with but being the kind of person I am, I have adopted and embraced the change. I decided to do my degree in BA Business since I was not sure what career to follow. During my studies I realised I enjoyed economics and finance so I decided to pursue it further and did an MSc in Money, Banking and Finance.
“While studying was exciting and I was looking forward to starting a career in banking, reality hit when my job applications got rejected one after another. The feedback I was getting was “not enough work experience”, which was very upsetting and disappointing thus making me doubt my studies and myself. But all this was about to change within a few months.”
Over a coffee with a friend, she mentioned some advice she and her husband had recently received from their financial adviser on mortgages and insurance.
Ms Georgiou said: “I was aware of the term financial adviser but never knew what they really did. So I went home and I Googled it, and that’s when I started thinking that this is what I want to do as a career. So I started looking into it and came across the Financial Adviser School and requested a prospectus. My friend convinced me to apply but I had no faith of being accepted since my latest feedback from jobs had been so negative. What were the chances of being accepted on such a demanding and professional looking course?
“When I was called in for an interview I wasn’t that hopeful but I postponed my move back to Cyprus just to see what the outcome would be. I had received some words of encouragement during the interview. To my surprise a few days later I received a call confirming my place on the course, and here I am.”
She has now passed my RO1 exam and is preparing for RO5. The School provides you with books and access to other learning material, and the students are part of a network of other students. This makes the process much easier, which is important since it is a demanding course and it does require dedication.
Ms Georgiou added: “Eight months since graduation, and six months since I started the course at the Financial Adviser School, I have been through a rollercoaster of emotions. From having no faith and no motivation for a career to start with, I now have a good job and I am working towards my qualifications with high hopes and aspirations for a succesful future.”
