5 Ways to Find Financial Planning Jobs When You Don’t Have Experience
5 Ways to Find Financial Planning Jobs When You Don’t Have Experience
If you’ve been scrolling through job listings lately, you’ve probably noticed a pattern:
“2–3 years of experience required.”
“Must have experience working in an RIA/broker-dealer/etc.”
Sound familiar?
You’re not imagining it. The financial planning job market can feel nearly impossible to break into if you don’t already have firm experience.
At CFP Board’s Connections Conference this October, our team met with dozens of students and career changers who shared the same frustration: “Firms are overlooking my resume because I don’t have experience inside a planning firm.”
Even as the profession grows and demand for planners skyrockets, firms still struggle to evaluate nontraditional experience. If your background isn’t in finance or a previous planning role, most firms simply don’t have a system for understanding how your transferable skills fit.
Plus, many firms now use AI-powered resume screening. That means your resume may never even reach a human if it doesn’t include the “right” keywords, software tools, or titles. The result? Qualified, motivated people are being filtered out before they get a fair shot.
We know that sounds a little bleak, but we promise there’s an upside to all of this. The firms worth working for, the ones building thoughtful, people-first teams who offer holistic financial planning, are looking for talent in unexpected places. They want planners who bring curiosity, empathy, and a real-world perspective.
They just might not know how to find you yet. That’s why, for now, it’s up to you to make yourself seen.
Here at Amplified Planning, we’re also working on a solution that makes it easier for firms to find great talent (like you!). Stay tuned, and join our newsletter for updates as they come!
How can you stand out in the financial planning job market
Whether you’re a student preparing for your CFP® exam or a career changer hoping to land your first role, there are ways to get noticed, even when firms seem to be focused on experience first.
1. Focus on applying to smaller firms
Large institutions might have the most job postings and hire the most frequently, but smaller RIAs often are more open to “unique” experience, spend more time reviewing resumes, and they may even give you more mentorship. Some even offer their new planners faster access to clients and exposure to the full financial planning process. This is ideal if you want to gain experience for your resume!
2. Highlight transferable skills
You might not come from a traditional finance background, but that’s not a disadvantage; it’s a differentiator. Planners who’ve worked in education, healthcare, sales, nonprofits, or tech often bring standout skills:
- Clear communication
- Problem-solving under pressure
- Empathy and emotional intelligence
- Adaptability
- Strong levels of analysis and assessment
Make those strengths visible in your cover letter, LinkedIn messages, and interviews. For example, you can say things like: “In my previous role, I helped people make complex decisions under stress, a skill that translates directly to helping clients navigate financial uncertainty.”
3. Reach out to firms that don’t have a job posting
Don’t wait for job postings that perfectly match your experience. Reach out directly to small firms, RIAs, or fee-only practices. You can say something like: “I see that you value client education and proactive planning. I’m studying for my CFP® certification and would love to start in a client-service or paraplanning role to support your team. Would you be interested in chatting?
This approach works even today, one Redditor reported cold emailing 25 firms and getting three responses in a single day. Sometimes the door opens when you knock on it first!
4. Apply and connect on LinkedIn
AI might screen your resume, but people still make the hiring decisions. After you apply:
- Look up the firm’s team on LinkedIn.
- Connect with a few planners or operations leaders.
- Send a short, personal message, like: “I recently applied for [position] and would love to learn more about how your team approaches [planning, clients, firm culture, etc.]. I’m especially interested because [specific reason].”
These connections do two things: They humanize your name in a sea of applications, and they show initiative. Firms notice that, especially the smaller ones with a tight-knit team!
Even if that role doesn’t work out, you’ve made a genuine professional contact who may think of you for a future opportunity.
5. Look in unconventional places
Don’t limit your search to big job boards or sites. New planners often find their first planning roles through:
- SimplyParaplanner and NewPlannerRecruiting job boards
- Financial Planning Association (FPA) chapter events
- Chamber of Commerce or local networking events
We’ve even heard from a planner who found their first role by posting in their neighborhood Facebook group about what they were hoping to find!
The reality is, many smaller firms don’t always have a job description they can easily post. They’re busy, they need help, and you might find them first!
Changing the way firms look at new talent
Our recent research at Amplified Planning shows that most firms still lack a strategy for attracting and onboarding career changers. They know new talent is out there, but their hiring process is designed for traditional candidates: students who go from a Registered Program to an internship, where they then get hired.
That linear model doesn’t fit today’s profession. Nearly 40% of new planners are career changers, and not every college kid comes from a Registered Program with internship placement support! Career changers have led teams, managed businesses, raised families, and learned through life. Some people can’t do internships due to family responsibilities or work/income needs. Not everyone entering the profession has the same resume, and that’s for the best!
Firms that learn how to recognize and support this talent will thrive, and we’re helping them do that.
Keep going. We’re working on it, too!
If you’ve felt discouraged by job descriptions or rejected by systems that can’t see your value, please know: you’re not the problem. The profession is in a period of growth and change, and Amplified Planning is working with firms to help them rethink what “qualified” looks like. (Join our newsletter if you want updates on this development!)
Until then, keep putting yourself out there. Your next opportunity might not come from a job board; it might come from a message, a referral, or a brave email. Your background, your experience, and your voice are all needed here.
We believe in you, and we’re working on a way to connect you with the firms that share our values.