I never really expected to be working towards becoming a financial planner.  At school I always loved science the most, with drama coming in as a close second.  So you’d have thought I’d end up either with a life on the stage or a life in the lab.

For quite a few years I followed the less glamorous of these two routes.  I studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University and later came back to South Yorkshire to start a Plant Science PhD at Sheffield University.  I stayed on at Sheffield University for nearly three years after the PhD, working on a project researching the thawing ground in subarctic Canada.

While I’ve truly enjoyed the work I’ve done in science, and while it has given me the opportunity to meet some great people and visit some fantastic places, I decided in 2015 that it was time to move on to something new.

So why financial planning?  Well, while wondering what my next challenge should be I was lucky enough to meet Bill, Andrew and Luke from Lifetime at a Sheffield University careers event.  

Bill showed the Lifetime Big Questions video and I was intrigued.  I couldn’t wait to ask more about what I’d just seen. I also wondered how I would be able to help people with their big questions.

I’ve always enjoyed solving other people’s problems.  Helping less experienced students at Sheffield University was one of my favourite aspects of the job.  So, having the chance to guide people through the sometimes difficult world of personal finance seemed like the perfect next move for me.

A visit to Lifetime’s offices in Barnsley showed me exactly how I could help people to live the life they want to live.  And I really can’t wait to get started.  But before I can go out and begin helping clients there is a lot for me to learn.  

Being a good financial planner isn’t just about understanding the technicalities.  You also need to be a good listener, understand what makes people tick and what they want from life.

I’m writing this blog to give you an insight into my journey towards becoming the best financial planner I can be.  But I’d also like you to be able to learn something useful about your finances along the way as well.

How can you get involved?

You can get involved by reading my blog posts!  It’d be great if you would join my mailing list so that I can send you my latest updates.

But more than that I’d love it if you got in touch to let me know what you’d like me to write about.  You can either email me with any questions, or Tweet @LifetimeFM if you’re on Twitter.  I look forward to hearing from you!

James Fisher