What is Career connect?
Career connect from Fidelity Life is a programme designed to help you gain qualifications and acquire the necessary skills to become a successful financial adviser. In a career that's purpose-led and supports the everyday lives of New Zealanders.
Applications are now closed for the 2024 intake.
What Career connect graduates say about the programme.
Read here.Why become a financial adviser?
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If you’re motivated by helping others and enjoy a challenging and dynamic work environment, then this is a great role for you. Helping New Zealanders prepare for life when things don’t always go the way they expected is the essence of being a financial adviser and this can be highly rewarding.
Every day is different as you work with a diverse group of people throughout New Zealand.
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Your earning ability is up to you. Financial advisers with 1 to 3 years' experience earn on average $80K-$130K per year. Financial advisers with 3 to 7 years' experience earn on average $100K-$250K per year.
(SOURCE: careers.govt.nz research, 2023.)
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The role of a financial adviser is as flexible or structured as you want it to be, depending on how you choose to work. It’s not a 9 to 5 kind of role and you flex your day as you need.
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New Zealand has an underinsurance gap which means that many families’ livelihoods are under protected, should their income be disrupted. It’s estimated that 18% of New Zealanders have received professional financial advice in the last year to help them understand, and manage these risks.
(SOURCE: FMA report: Consumer experience with the financial sector. July 2022. Page-49.)
Recent changes in the financial services industry have created opportunities for qualified financial advisers to meet the ever-increasing demand for good, professional advice for New Zealand families and businesses wanting to prepare for when life doesn’t always go to plan.
Providing financial advice is a professional career in an industry that is being strengthened by the Financial Markets Authority’s (FMA) oversight and is increasingly trusted by customers.
Here's some resources to learn more:
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Being a financial adviser isn’t always easy.
You’ll sometimes work long hours and be required to have tough conversations as you help New Zealanders plan for the curve balls that life can throw at them. You’ll need to upskill and learn the technical aspects of the many types of insurance and understand what they all do. You’ll be expected to learn the language of insurance - like medical terminology and the nuts and bolts of each type of insurance. You’ll need to be confident in explaining this simply to your customers.
It’s a really rewarding career that can come with some challenges. You’ll be there supporting your customers and their families through their most challenging times in life when sickness, injury or worse has occurred. You’ll see how your advice can bring certainty and peace of mind to families when they need it most.
What can you expect from Career connect?
A training programme that equips successful applicants to build long standing, successful careers, advising New Zealand families and helping them to protect their way of life. The 2024 intake will commence in late May and will run for 6-months.
You'll gain:
Relevant qualifications.
Participants will receive the following qualifications:
- NZ Certificate in Financial Services Level 5 (Life and health Insurance) - delivered by a recognised training provider.
Practical skills and knowledge.
We’ll provide a comprehensive skills and knowledge programme on:
- Lead generation techniques.
- Code of conduct and legislation training.
- Engaging customer conversations.
- Personal brand development.
- Fidelity Life's types of cover and suitability for different customers.
Industry connections.
We’ll provide a supportive, inclusive environment that enables participants to:
- Join study groups to support your training.
- Access mentors.
- Build connections with businesses across the industry.
- Kick-start their career in financial advice.
Value for money.
Fidelity Life are proud to support your learning. We'll provide you with
- Access to discounted pricing for your qualifications.
- We cover the cost of your NZCFS Level 5 facilitator.
- Additional modules to give you the skills and industry knowledge you need.
- Study support.
- Connections to adviser businesses.
You'll become:
A qualified financial adviser with the skills, competency, and knowledge to excel and build a long-term sustainable career.
We're also providing scholarships.
To help you make this leap into a new career, there are several scholarships available per intake. Each scholarship will cover all fees for qualifications and some will provide additional financial support throughout the programme.
Learn more about our scholarships.ㅤ͏
FAQ.
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No, you can do the training while you're still employed. This means that you'll need to commit to time outside of your current job.
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The fee for the programme is approximately $1,650. This includes your formal qualifications.
Payment is required prior to starting the programme.
Fees do not include any extensions for courses or additional coaching outside of the programme, or any travel, accommodation or additional costs required to complete the programme.
There are additional costs associated with becoming an employed adviser. These costs may or may not be covered by your employer and should be discussed in the recruitment phase.
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Feel free to reach out to us, we might be able
to connect you with a business that is looking for a qualified adviser now. -
More details will be shared at the career evening.
When you fill out the application form you will have the option to apply for a scholarship at the same time. Scholarships will cover the costs of the qualifications and some of them provide additional financial support throughout your 6-month programme.
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The 2024 intake will commence in late May and spaces will be limited.
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We anticipate that the programme will take 6 months part time (which will include evening work) whilst continuing to work in your current role.
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To apply for this programme applicants must:
- be at least 21 years old or hold a graduate diploma.
- be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
- must be committed to becoming a financial adviser.
- must not have started or completed your Level 5 qualification.
- agree to complete a credit and MOJ check.
- Provide a confidential referee report (which cannot be from a relative or someone you live with).
- Provide a CV with cover letter detailing why you would like to work in this profession.
As part of the selection process, we may ask you to provide evidence or examples of the qualities required to become a successful adviser.
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No refund will be provided for those who don't complete the course or their NZ certificate in Financial Services L5 (Life and Health Insurance).
Fidelity Life will not facilitate industry connections for those who do not complete the course successfully.
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Our New Zealand founders set up Fidelity Life with a commitment to provide protection for our customers New Zealand way of life. Chances are we’ve helped someone near you.
Part of protecting that New Zealand way of life is ensuring that we continue to have a strong industry of highly qualified advisers who can provide good, customer centric advice to New Zealand families and businesses.
Our vision is to grow the insurance industry through attracting new talent and providing the opportunity for a diverse group of people and talent to join the insurance industry and to meet the needs of a younger and culturally diverse New Zealand.
This is why Fidelity Life is proud to bring you Career connect and actively promote financial advice as an exciting and rewarding career.
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Similar to a classroom environment, a facilitated online course means that you’ll be guided throughout the Career connect programme by facilitators that will help you to achieve your qualification and successfully complete the course. Online classes are weekly and are a requirement of the course.
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At Fidelity Life we’re proud to be a part of the growing the financial services industry. We have access to discounted pricing for your NZ Certificate in Financial Services (Life and Health) Level 5 qualification through Kaplan Professional in conjunction with Massey University. While you will only pay for course fees, we will provide you with an approved facilitator to support you through your studies in a friendly and engaging online classroom environment. You will also receive an additional 8 online facilitated modules designed to support you to apply your learning practically to give you the best chance of having a successful career as a financial adviser.