My Journey to Becoming a Financial Adviser

Today is exactly 2 years, 2 months and 2 days since I decided to become a Financial Adviser and as I look back, I could surely say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life!

Prior to March 6, 2015, I have always been a part of the Call Center/ BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry. I started as a Message Handling Specialist with Easycall way back in 1997 when pagers gained popularity as the preferred choice of communication. I was also a Customer Service Representative/Quality Specialist with KGB Philippines (formerly known as INFONxx) then finally transferring over to Teleperformance Philippines where I spent a year before resigning my position of Quality Analyst in 2014.

I already have a stable job but still I decided to leave the industry that has become my bread and butter for more than a decade. “Burn out” finally caught up on me and it does not help any that the last company I worked for made me feel unappreciated most of the time. Well, that is for another topic though. 🙂

The opportunity to become a Financial Adviser was presented to me by my mother-in-law, who is currently my Senior Agency Manager at Sun Life Grepa Financial. I must admit that at first I was adamant to accept the offer because I knew how difficult it can be. Actually, I had previous experience in selling encyclopedia door-to-door, which I did for a few months right after graduating from college. However, it was my physical limitations which I am very much concerned about. For the information of those who have not seen me personally, I walk with a limp. This is because when I was about two years old, I contracted the polio virus which affected my mobility in general. With these in mind, decision-making became even more arduous for me.

That was also the time that I really wanted to help my wife in sustaining our family especially since we were expecting our first child. Being a Christian, I prayed and asked GOD to give me words of assurance and encouragement from the Bible as to whether I will accept the offer or not. My answer came from the following verse which can be found on Deuteronomy 31:6. It says “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your GOD goes before you; He will never leave nor forsake you.” And so I heeded the advice of the Great Counselor and the rest is history as they say.

I learned that being a Financial Adviser is not at all easy and it can be frustrating. Rejections from clients are very common in this field mainly because people will always be careful and discerning when it comes to money matters. Even those whom I thought will support my advocacy, like my other siblings and relatives, were the first ones to reject me. It hurt for a time but I realized that rejection is nothing personal. It is really about them and their decision, not me as a Financial Adviser.

On the flip side, having a career in the Life Insurance industry can be very rewarding. In fact, I have been to many beautiful places here in the Philippines as part of the travel incentive programs our company has been giving every year. Never have I imagined that I could one day see with my very eyes the splendor of Misibis Bay, Palawan and Balesin Island for free and all-expenses paid! As part of the package, I also get to experience staying in top-class hotels all over the country.

I have also been a recipient of numerous awards, including 1st Runner-Up for Rookie Agent Category in 2015 which I consider by far the most prestigious. I even had this rare opportunity to snap a picture with our brand ambassadress, Ms. Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, during one of our sales rally.

But more than the incentives and trophies I have received, I consider this on-going journey of mine already a success because along the way I have helped many individuals and families in planning ahead to achieve their life goals and secure a brighter future under the sun! It has become my mission to educate Filipinos on the importance of having life insurance coverage and the advantages of investing their hard-earned money.  The thought of being the “life-changing event” in somebody else’s lives encourages me further to share this great advocacy that is Financial Literacy.

Being a Financial Adviser is indeed a fulfilling and noble profession. I thank the LORD for letting me become one!

 

Note: I created this blog site to bring into awareness the value of Financial Literacy in helping build our nation by educating Filipinos through a series of articles that will share ideas on important topics such as investing, financial planning, etc. Ignorance and lack of information on this matter continue to beset a lot of Filipino families and this often result to mishandling of assets which in turn leads to poverty.

I also aim to inspire passionate, motivated, would-be Financial Advisers to help me share this advocacy. For those who are interested and aspiring to have a fruitful career in the Life Insurance industry and become a part of the Sun Life Grepa family, you can get in contact with me on the numbers posted here on my blog site and I will personally assist you.

Let us make the Philippines great again! Together, we will educate and help Filipino families achieve their life goals and secure a brighter future under the sun!

Build Your Future. Dream It. Live It.