IFASep 10 2021

My time in Afghanistan helped me be an IFA

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My time in Afghanistan helped me be an IFA
Louis Goacher

You do not have to be ex-military to possess the skills needed to transition to an adviser. There are many highly skilled occupations out there that enable you to learn a wide range of skills that can be used to give great financial advice.

However, there are certain situations and experiences obtained in the military, and in my case the British army (Royal Engineers), that simply cannot be found elsewhere. I think you would agree, it is quite a vast contrast in jobs.

My focus and passion is to become the best IFA I can, but I do hold the army in high regard with the lessons and the opportunities it has presented me. This shapes how I give advice today, along with other skills I have learnt from advisers more experienced than me. 

Transferrable skills

There is a particular time I had in Afghanistan as a counter improvised explosive device searcher in 2010 (pictured above), which, if I reflect on, has educated me in so many different ways.

Before the task of clearing any route, there would be an extremely detailed brief on the ground, the threat in the area and the route itself. This requires you to be able to listen and absorb all that information, so the job can be carried out correctly.

I relate this skill of listening to a fact-find I do with my clients. If I have not listened and obtained all the information my client is giving me, my advice is at risk of being incorrect and has a potential to not allow them to achieve their objectives.

I think all fellow advisers would agree this probably is the number one key skill to being a good adviser before any technical knowledge. Technical knowledge you can learn or be taught, being a good listener is more of a characteristic. 

Discipline and punctuality

It is widely known that the military drills in its members discipline and punctuality. The feeling of dread if you were ever to arrive to anything late or without the correct equipment was palpable as it would be swiftly met with disciplinary action.

It does not matter if you are a newly trained soldier or an experienced Sergeant, discipline and punctuality is expected – as it should be – throughout all ranks. This has had such a significant impact on me and I think I speak for the majority of ex-service men and women. And because it is widely known, I feel this has helped veterans achieve employment when they have left the forces because employers have already assumed their candidate comes with these qualities.

I personally have been guilty of arriving at a client’s home a little too early and have sat in the car reading my notes to pass the time on a few occasions. The feeling of thinking I am going to arrive late still makes me feel uneasy. So, the last thing I would want is a client thinking I am not taking them seriously or to be seen as unprofessional.

Image is important

I do believe image is very important, as essentially people do buy from people. In terms of turnout, this is also important as you would not expect to receive financial advice from someone completely underdressed.

Yet in the same breath I am not a firm believer you have to be in a formal suit either, but that is just my opinion. 

When I newly qualified as a financial and mortgage adviser and had the backing of my firm behind me, I was just about to leave the forces to pursue my career in financial services. So, I had the opportunity to do my first presentation in front of the men and women of my regiment.

This was a basic PowerPoint on Isas, pensions, different types of investment and mortgages. Speaking to a large audience can be daunting at the best of times but when it is your first time, there was all kinds of added pressure I placed on myself.

However, this was an opportunity I used to learn how to speak in front of people, learn how people engage with me and the topics, and how I can communicate my information clearly, with confidence.

These situations have helped me become more confident in front of my clients and potential clients and have enabled me to come across as an adviser who they will want to share their objectives with. 

I am proud to say that what I learnt during my time in the British army, and in the dangerous situations we all found ourselves in during tours of Afghanistan, has given me some excellent skills that not only helped keep me alive then, but can help others have a better life now in my new role.  

Louis Goacher is an IFA at Complete Financial Planning