Figuring It Out Early
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday October 2, 2007
Long hours are OK when you love your job, writes Anita Beaumont.
MANY young men dream of being a fireman, a policeman, an astronaut or a pilot when they grow up. But Phil Smith was having none of that."For reasons unbeknown to me at the time I always wanted to be an accountant," the Newcastle West resident said."But as I got a little bit older I was drawn to accountancy and financial planning because of the fact I could make a difference that I could help solve problems and help people to achieve their goals." Smith, now one of the senior advisers with Hunter Financial Planning at Charlestown, grew up on a wheat and cattle property near Quirindi before moving to Newcastle to study for a Bachelor of Commerce degree.With a view to one day working on the family farm, his three brothers pursued rugby league careers.The Smith family has a former Knight-Rooster, a former Dragon and an Eel plus a Quirindi Grasshopper sitting around the table at Christmas time. But Smith discovered early on that his real passion was with numbers rather than the land or football.He did a cadetship with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Newcastle and worked full-time in tax and accounting while also studying full-time at university. Smith later completed a Diploma of Financial Planning to move into that side of the industry. He continues to keep abreast of new information and courses to further his career and his knowledge.Making the switch to concentrate on the financial planning side of the business was a move he has never regretted. "There are no lowlights to this job, it's all highlights."The only slight downside is the long hours wear me out sometimes, but if you love your job like I do it's not really a problem."His advice to others thinking of pursuing a career in financial planning was not only to be up-to-date with the latest market information, but also to take an active interest in getting to know a client's needs, wants and goals."You need to be genuinely interested in people if you want to succeed in this business," he said."Somebody told me once that people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Smith said he found helping clients achieve their lifestyle and financial goals was his biggest reward."A lot of people tell me I am very lucky to have found a job that I love," he said. "But I also think the harder you work, the luckier you get."MONEY TALKS Accounting is widely referred to as the language of business.
© 2007 Newcastle Herald