Chapman-Lyes added: “There are lots of people who have done their degrees and have become paraplanners, but it hasn’t done me any harm. You don’t need a degree. It would help if you had a degree in economics or mathematics, but it is not going to hinder you in the job if you don’t have one.”
Chapman-Lyes said although paraplanning can be a great stepping stone to a career in financial advice, it is a standalone career in its own right.
He said: “A lot of people think that you go into paraplanning and become a financial planner. For me, I like the technical side of paraplanning. I still have some involvement with clients but I like this role. I enjoy the type of work it involves, the research and the calculations.”
He added that one of the reasons why many people choose to stay in paraplanning is because of the flexible working arrangements, and greater ability to work from home.
He said: “The paraplanning role caters for people that do want the flexibility to be home-based because you're not client facing.
“Post-Covid a lot of paraplanners do work from home, so for firms it is great for recruiting because you have the whole country to look for your talent rather than just local.”
Aamina Zafar is a freelance financial journalist
