I am a Senior Financial Advisor and Owner of Bump & Associates. I help people discover what's most valuable to them personally, then I provide priority-driven goals and strategies that will help them to realize their personal and financial dreams.

EDUCATION | BA in Special Education

HOW TO GET STARTED | There's a huge part of this career that's climbing a ladder. When you're just starting out, it's good to find the right financial advisor who can take you under their wing. Internships are a really good way to learn and experience the financial sector and all different aspects of what you can do. I think you can only discover if you want to be in this field by doing an internship. Get someone to sponsor you for taking the Series 7 exam, because you can't even take the test without a sponsor. The best way to get into this business is to find an experienced financial advisor and join their team in any capacity they'll have you. It's the kind of career where you learn the most on the job, so your educational background isn't as important as you might think. A really helpful website is the Financial Planning Association. Career-changers can have a decided advantage because they already have a network of people they can tap into for prospective clients, also because maturity is valued in this business.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Analytical. Extrovert. Trustworthy with integrity. Good listening skills. Organized with numbers. Need to like working with money. Self-starter.

how I got started | I started out as a teacher in special education, and was moonlighting helping people with their taxes and realized I was both good at numbers and I liked it. I was also working at a book store that I ended up buying and running myself, which taught me a lot about managing finances. I soon realized I wanted to help people with their finances outside of just tax time, so I went for an interview at American Express and the next 6 months of my life was spent studying for several exams, including the Series 7 exam, that most people don't actually pass. I passed it on the first go. I was a 30 year old woman in a 50 year old man's world, so I wanted to put a different perspective on financial planning.

why this job?| I have a true belief that when people feel secure financially, they give more to the world around them. I wanted to help people realize that no matter where they were coming from, they could reach financial security. Because once someone feels that security, they can really focus on and plan for what they value in life, whether that's children, health, travel, or philanthropy.

why I love this job!| I love building relationships with clients and the people I hire who share my approach to financial planning. I love finding creative solutions to people's perceived financial problems. I enjoy helping people realize what they really value and structuring their financial goals to help them live the kind of life they want to live.

my typical day| A good portion of my day is spent analyzing financial information and hard numbers. I also spend time every day in face-to-face meetings with clients discussing their financial planning. As a business owner I also spend time working with my team and doing business development. I also spend time out in the community because marketing and being a part of my community is a big part of the job. Every day I spend quite a lot of time talking to people on phone too.

what they are | When I started out I was working a lot, about 12 hour days, and you're going to do this until you're more established. And you also have to be your own motivator and planner for what you're doing, so there's a lot of time management involved. Clients have their own jobs so they can't meet with you until their day is done. In general, it's a tough industry to start out young, or to be a woman. But I did both—started as a young woman—and that didn't stop me, I just worked harder to succeed!

all about growth | There's a lot of positions in financial advising out there, but there's a definite ladder to climb, so how you begin in this sector is crucial. The team you choose to work within is going to determine a lot of your future, so do your research about who's who, and get your foot into the right door. From any beginning, a person with the right traits who also works hard will always find success.

my website| http://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/denise.r.bump/