A Day in the Life of... Laura Blyth

When I was at University I avoided the optional finance modules as I had no interest in that area whatsoever, ironically, I am now an Independent Financial Adviser for Woodward Markwell. I am extremely proud to be with the minority of women in this role, helping individuals plan for their retirement, making their money work harder and helping them protect what they already have.

I studied Business Management with HR at University. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in life but I knew I was a people person and HR seemed the right option. I joined Suffolk Life shortly after graduating and that was my first insight into the world of pensions.

Let’s be honest, no one wakes up at the age of 14 and thinks I want to be a Financial Adviser - I fell into the industry but now I wouldn’t look back. I decided to make the move to Woodward Markwell to learn more about Financial Planning. I started as an Administrator in 2014 and fast forward to 2018 and I am now an Independent Adviser.

I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity, guidance and support to make the transition. Young advisers help with succession planning and clients benefit from the longevity of the relationship.

The great thing about being a Financial Adviser is that every day is different. A typical day may include checking the financial news whilst sipping my morning coffee or checking my emails before preparing for my first meeting of the day. As a young adviser networking is important so I may have a networking lunch in the afternoon, a chance to write up my meeting notes and then my next 5pm appointment on a Friday as that’s the only time my client can see me.

I joined the local CII Council 18 months ago whilst I was still a Trainee Adviser, as I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and expand my professional network. I quickly became a member of the YPG and also took on the membership secretary role. This meant that I produced reports before each council meeting stating how many CII/PFS members we have in our area. Most recently I have become head of Social Media & Communication - I am one of the faces behind the computer screen! I can honestly say that being a member of the YPG in particular has become important to me. I have made some amazing friends and we thoroughly enjoy ourselves when we get together.

We only have a few members on our CII Council that are PFS members. I feel strongly that we continue to be represented as part of the local council and urge anyone in this area who may be interested in joining council to come forward. The more of us, the more CPD events we will be able to provide.

When I’m not studying in my spare time, or helping out with the local CII Council, I like to try and keep my fitness up by attending classes and the gym a few times a week. I subsequently ruin this by over indulging at the weekend but you can’t knock a girl for trying. I am also an Age UK Befriender as I feel passionately that ‘no one should have no one’.