Pensions Adviser

Typical Salary

£22,000 To £80,000

Typical Hours

36 to 38 a week

evenings / weekends on shifts

How To Become a Pensions Adviser

You can get into this job through:

an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly
a graduate training scheme

College / University

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through a higher apprenticeship as a financial adviser, specialising in pensions, or as a financial services professional, specialising in workplace pensions.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as a pensions administrator or financial customer service adviser. You would do qualifications while you work to move into an adviser role. Qualifications are offered by the Pensions Management Institute and the Chartered Insurance Institute.

You can apply to companies directly if you have experience in finance or sales. GCSEs or A levels in English and maths would also be helpful.

Employers will offer you extra training in their pensions products when you start.

Other Routes

If you have a degree you may be able to join a pension company's graduate trainee scheme to become an adviser.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

customer service skills
knowledge of economics and accounting
maths knowledge
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
sensitivity and understanding
persistence and determination
analytical thinking skills
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

managing client relationships, or finding new business
calculating the value of pension funds
issuing regular statements to pension scheme members
answering enquiries from scheme members

Working Environment

You could work in an office or from home.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could specialise in a particular type of pension, become a pensions manager, or move into other types of financial advice.

You could also become a self-employed pensions consultant.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Registration

you'll need to register as an 'approved person' by the Financial Conduct Authority

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Pensions Management Institute for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a pensions adviser from Pension Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.