I've always been a firm believer that success is created and destroyed in the details; it's one of the reasons I thought I would make a good financial planner.
While at Virginia Tech, our academic adviser would tell us that advisers wanted their new hires to be detail-oriented. Every time the topic came up, I would check the imaginary box in my head. I proofread my e-mails, triple-checked my calculations on exams and paid attention to every bullet point when reading textbooks. As far as I was concerned, I had that quality mastered.
However, a couple months into my residency I had a wakeup call; my undergraduate definition of detail-oriented paled in comparison to the professional definition. At school I was required to be detail-oriented during my one-hour exam rather than for eight hours a day while answering the phone. Instead of being given the facts and figures and told to solve for a variable, at work I was given “B” and told to finish at “Z.” I learned that being detail-oriented at the professional level not only requires diligence but also consistency. It demands that you be curious and anticipate the next step in order to get the details needed. Not understanding this led to mistakes such as switching a number on trades and not getting all of the necessary information when on the phone with a client. Mistakes are a hard pill to swallow, but create the opportunity to learn and grow.
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Since learning this lesson, I've changed my day-to-day routine so I don't feel rushed while completing tasks. Adapting to the new standard has enabled me to be better at my job and take on more responsibilities. Over the past couple months my daily duties have stayed the same, but my interactions with clients have evolved. Over the summer I was able to talk with clients' children about personal finance in college. This was especially exciting as I've always felt passionate about helping young adults take control of their financial future. In another meeting, an adviser left to get water and instructed me to discuss Roth conversions with our client. And a client called the other day and told me an emotional, personal story. I no longer have to bother the advisers to double check my numbers and go over e-mails — they trust that what I'm doing is up to their standard.
My transition into the world of financial planning has confirmed my belief that the details do create or destroy you, but my understanding has evolved. Financial planning is a tool that is greater than the sum of its parts, and I've learned how to recognize and dig deeper for the missing pieces. Changing my reality has enabled me to grow in my position at Cornerstone and will make me a better planner in the future.
Amanda Moore is a resident in financial planning at Cornerstone Wealth Advisors
