From discovering JC at a university careers fair to earning a prestigious Royal London Shield from the CII, Valerie Wilson’s career journey is one of drive and achievement. Based in our Edinburgh office, she shares the milestones that have shaped her path, how she finds balance after a busy week, and her top tip for staying on track during exam season.

What led you to become a financial planner?

At University I studied Accountancy and finance and enjoyed the finance side of the course much more than accounting. This drove me to gain some work experience through a summer internship at an investment management company before completing a Masters in Investment Management. Although I enjoyed the investment management side of things, I liked the idea of having a job that involved helping people meet their personal goals. After some research, this led me to looking to pursue a career in financial planning as it also allowed me to use my knowledge about investing.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of the job is when you can show someone they can meet a goal that they thought was out of reach, whether that be early retirement or helping out their family by making gifts.

Clients often come to us with little knowledge and a lot of uncertainty about financial matters. Being able to help them by increasing their confidence and showing them what they can achieve is very rewarding.

If you weren’t a financial planner, what career might you have pursued?

At school deciding to study finance was a very last-minute decision. I had been set on studying music performance having played violin from aged 5. After completing auditions at various conservatoires and only a few weeks before the UCAS deadline, I decided I would rather keep music as a hobby. Even though I didn’t end up pursuing it as a career, I taught violin while at Uni and I still enjoy playing, regularly taking part in orchestral concerts.

How do you unwind after a busy week?

Since moving house and now living on the cycle path, I have created a list of bakeries to try throughout Edinburgh. I often start my weekend (if weather permits) by cycling to one of these bakeries and am gradually ticking them off the list.

I also enjoy walking with my husband and our Bernese Mountain Dog, Penny.

What drew you to work at Johnston Carmichael Wealth, and what’s kept you here?

I was first made aware of Johnston Carmichael through careers fairs at university and it was from here that I learnt they had a Wealth team. From further research into the company, it was clear they had a good reputation within the financial services industry and a focus on professional development. It was evident that this was a place where I could not only build technical knowledge, but also develop as a well-rounded financial planner.

What’s kept me here is that those first impressions have proven true. I’ve had the opportunity to work with great people both within the Wealth team and Johnston Carmichael more widely and have had great support from managers and other team members throughout my journey to becoming a financial planner.

What are you excited about in the future of financial planning?

There has been a shift in the financial planning industry over time where historically people have had the view of it being a sales driven industry. One of the exciting things about the industry is there has been a clear shift to being client focused and growing recognition that financial planning isn’t just about money and technical advice but instead is it continues to become more focused on holistic financial planning and gaining trust with clients.

This shift is exciting as over time it should instil more confidence about the financial planning industry, allowing us to help more people and build long-term relationships with clients.

Technology will also continue to play a big role within the financial planning process and as it develops, should help improve efficiency of advice which means planners can spend more time helping clients which is the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the job.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Control the controllable. This was a piece of advice received from my violin teacher when preparing for concerts and auditions. He would tell me put as much work in as possible so you know you have prepared as best you can and if something unexpected happens then so be it, as long as you know you couldn’t have done any more.

Although his guidance was specific to my violin performances, it is something that is relevant to everyday life and work whether that be sitting exams or giving advice to clients.

You have just recently been awarded a Royal London Shield from CII for getting top marks in your advanced diploma exams in the Edinburgh region. Can you tell us a little bit about this award and what it means to you? 

This was an award I wasn’t even aware of until I received the email letting me know I had won it, which made it all the more surprising. I was genuinely shocked at first, but incredibly honoured to receive this recognition, especially knowing the high standard of professionals who sit these exams each year. It’s a real privilege to be acknowledged in this way.

What is your top tip(s) for preparing to sit exams such as yours?

My top tip for preparing for exams goes back to the advice above – control the controllable. Finding the time to study is not easy while also working but I never wanted to get to an exam wishing I had done more preparation. There are always going to be unpredictable questions and curveballs that come up in the exam, but as long as you have put in the hours to prepare for it then you can go in with confidence knowing you’ve done everything within your control