Meet the team – Charlotte Knight
Next up in our meet the team series is trainee Financial Planner, Charlotte Knight. Hear what she has to say about working at Kellands and how she got to where she is today.
What’s your background, how did you get where you are today?
I joined the industry as an apprentice aged 18, I always knew I wanted to work in financial services! I was always interested in the financial sector, be it actuary, accounting or advising. Once I started my apprenticeship I began sitting my exams to achieve the diploma with the CII and quickly realised I would want to progress past diploma to chartered status.
I have always enjoyed expanding my knowledge in order to help others. Previously I worked as a paraplanner at a smaller IFA. This was a great foundation and gave me exposure to many aspects of financial planning as well as interaction with the clients. This interaction concreted my aspiration to become an adviser and continue helping to build financial life plans for individuals, couples and families.
We are delighted to have you on the team, how have you found the last year?
The last year has been amazing. The whole team has been extremely supportive in helping me navigate new systems, offering support for exams and providing adviser training. I have had the opportunity to be really hands on too, gaining valuable experience at client meetings.
There have also been lots of team outings which have been great fun and helped me to settle in. Kellands has been very welcoming and it feels as if I have been here for longer than a year!
It has obviously been a challenging couple of years as we navigate the pandemic. Has it changed the way you work?
It has not drastically changed the way I work as financial services remains as important as before the pandemic. I did have to adapt to homeworking for a while which came with both positives and negatives, however, it made me realise how important work life balance is. Homeworking avoids travel time but reduces social interaction, a mixture of both is probably ideal.
I think the pandemic helped to solidify how important implementing a financial plan which can help in times of hardship can be. I’m excited to start working with clients to achieve this.
What are your goals and aspirations for the year ahead?
I would like to attain Chartered status and additionally sit my Pension Transfer exam to become a Pension Transfer Specialist. This would be in addition to continuing my adviser training, developing skills and helping to put financial plans in place for clients. I think for my personal goals I would like to travel more as the pandemic halted travel for a while and there are so many places I would like to visit.
The best thing about working at Kellands?
The best thing about working at Kellands has to be how the client is at the heart of the business. All of the work done is completed with the clients best interests in mind. There is such a diverse team and wealth of knowledge that any questions I have can be answered and everyone is more than happy to help.
How do you wind down & what do you do in your spare time?
At the moment, I continue to study in my spare time and I attend PT sessions and Zumba classes (in addition to seeing my partner, friends and family!). To wind down I enjoy nature walks – luckily the Peak District is only a short drive from where I live and there is lots of countryside to visit.