When I decided to pursue financial advice instead of university, it triggered some tough conversations.
In my family of doctors, skipping university was almost unthinkable. But I wasn’t rebelling. I was clear I wanted to earn my place in a firm, start in admin, work my way through paraplanning and become a financial adviser, by proving myself.
After almost a year of trying, I have just found that entry point.
I’m 18, I have just completed my A-levels and I’ve made hundreds of calls. I’ve sent hundreds of emails, and spoken to dozens of advisers, paraplanners, recruiters and training bodies.
I’ve had meaningful work experience – sitting in client meetings and observing how advice is delivered. Yet not one firm offered me a trainee slot or apprenticeship until Root Paraplanning recently gave me a role as an apprentice paraplanner.
Financial advice requires significant personal investment before you can even be considered for many roles
That’s the reality of the so-called talent pipeline in financial advice in 2025 – largely invisible and hard to access.
I’ve seen platforms that promise to connect aspiring advisers with jobs, but they list few if any entry-level roles for someone straight out of school.
Where there are ‘trainee’ roles, they usually require already having a Level 4 qualification as a minimum, which, for some, is hard to afford. This brings us to another barrier.
Significant investment
Becoming an adviser in the UK means pursuing a Level 4 qualification from a professional body. A school leaver hoping to enter the industry faces initial qualification costs of roughly £750–£1,200.
The profession needs to bring back a fully funded, regulated entry route – an apprenticeship that visibly supports school leavers
Those figures confirm that becoming eligible for roles within financial advice requires a significant investment without any guarantee of training or job placement.
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Put that against accountancy apprenticeships. Big firms take on 18-year-olds, pay their salary and cover Association of Chartered Certified Accountants or Association of Accounting Technicians costs. The training routes offered are visible and widely advertised.
Until firms are willing to invest in young talent from the ground up, the adviser shortage will persist
In the technology industry, apprenticeships enable a school leaver to train as a developer, earning £20,000-plus, with no fees. There is just an aptitude test.
Even in law, with Solicitors Qualifying Examination fees and prep courses potentially topping £11,000, recruitment and sponsorship on recognised pathways are offered.
Poor exception
Compared to these professions, financial advice stands out as the exception. It requires significant personal investment before you can even be considered for many roles.
The talent pipeline is frequently mentioned. Having felt its illusory nature firsthand, I can say that talk is not enough
Having experienced this firsthand, I know how tough it is to break in without having backing or a clear, affordable path.
For this to change, the profession must stop presenting vague aspirations as progress. It needs to bring back a fully funded, regulated entry route – an apprenticeship that visibly supports school leavers.
Firms should share or subsidise exam costs with the same logic that they use for mid-career hires. Regional outreach and fixed trainee salary bands need to become standard.
I wasn’t looking for a shortcut – I was looking for a chance. But, until firms are willing to invest in young talent from the ground up, the adviser shortage will persist.
I’ve sent hundreds of emails, and spoken to dozens of advisers, paraplanners, recruiters and training bodies. Yet not one firm offered me a trainee slot or apprenticeship until recently
The talent pipeline is frequently mentioned. Having felt its illusory nature firsthand, I can say that talk is not enough.
Abdul Hadi is an apprentice paraplanner at Root Paraplanning
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For more practical information on how to get started in financial advice, please visit our Future Financial Adviser community. We tell you how to take the first steps, how to get ahead and what attributes you need to flourish. Even better, we can put you in touch with helpful contacts.
