I had numerous interests as a child which created confusion surrounding what I wanted to be when I grew up. What I did know, however, is that I enjoyed being challenged (which, with having dyslexia, came automatically!) and I wanted a career I could build upon as I grew.
I stumbled upon my career in the financial services industry by accident but the job captured my interest from the first day and has ended up shaping my entire career.
How I became a mortgage broker
That first day was back in 2015 as a personal assistant to a mortgage broker. Since then I have progressed from an assistant to a mortgage administrator, before eventually qualifying and working as a broker in my own right.
Due to my unusual introduction into the world of mortgage broking I’ve been able to learn the ins and outs of the industry from almost every angle. This has not only enabled me to obtain a wealth of knowledge, which has helped numerous clients to get onto (and stay on!) the property ladder, but it’s knowledge that I’ve been able to carry with me as I moved into self-employment and joined The Mortgage Mum.
What the job involves
I’m a mortgage broker, which ultimately means I get to help my clients buy or refinance their properties. However, mortgages can also be so much more than this. I believe with the right advice, and the right mortgage, people can achieve the lifestyle they want to lead, which in turn can help them to achieve their goals and dreams.
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Yet for many, the mortgage industry remains overwhelming. The complex jargon, constant changes to compliance regulations and the numerous variables which can affect an application can make mortgages baffling. This is why I like to use my expertise and social media to help debunk and demystify the confusion that surrounds the mortgage industry to help it become less intimidating and more accessible.
Financial education
I am also working on educating teenagers about the importance of financial awareness at an early age. On the surface, teenagers may feel like they’re too young to be learning about mortgages but their financial decisions at this age can have a huge impact on both their credit rating and their future mortgage applications. This is something I feel very strongly about as when I was at school, we didn’t receive any guidance on how to handle financial matters.
So, in addition to helping my clients with their property acquisitions, I’m dedicated to simplifying industry terminology and helping people to truly understand the process that they’re involved in, regardless of their age.
My advice to you
Don’t put too much pressure on where you think you should be at any given time. I always had this vision in my mind of what my future self would look like, but until recently it’s been hazy. It’s like I knew where I wanted to be, but not how to get there and so my future became blurred. I’d spend ages trying to figure it out and make this vision clear again and when that didn’t happen, I learnt to take the pressure off myself. I did this by stepping back and letting life and opportunity flow, and it was revolutionary as I realised it wasn’t my future that was blurred, it was my present.
Every time I was in a job or social circumstance which didn’t serve me, I lost sight of the future self I wanted to be. Yet when I was in the right environment, or on the right path, my future would become clear again. I learnt to listen to myself and what my instincts were telling me.
It took me a while to learn that lesson, and it’s a journey that most of us must take ourselves, but my advice would be to focus on developing yourself rather than ticking off items on a checklist. If you spend time learning about yourself, your dreams, your fears and your motivators, you’ll develop a self-trust so deep that when your gut instinct tells you to switch things up because you’re on the wrong path you won’t just listen, you’ll act.
And as for the rest? Life is fluid, but if you learn to trust yourself the rest will follow.
