Danie de Waal: Financial Advisor
We interviewed Danie de Waal, a Financial Advisor from Life Force FS. He handles all sorts of policies and insurances. He does it for people so that they don’t have to worry about it. He makes sure all of your accounts are sorted and that you can sleep easy at night knowing that if anything happens, you’re covered in every area.
What does a typical working day involve? What are your day-to-day activities?
I don’t have a typical day. I go to see clients (either a first time or follow up visit), work on quotes, read emails, go to seminars and training, or go to the office. But here is a rough example.
| Time of Day | Activity | Comments |
| 08:00 | Study a topic of one of the insurance companies | Self study forms a big part of our jobs |
| 09:00 | Check and answer emails | |
| 10:30 | Appointment | If it’s a new client, it takes up to 3 appointments. |
| 13:00 | Pop into the office | Sometimes I’ll scan and email documents to my secretary, other times I pop in to the office for meetings and handing in documents. This depends on my appoinments |
| 14:00 | Appointment | |
| 16:00 | Do the planning required from the appointments | |
| 17:30 | Walk on the beach for exercise |
- What do you enjoy most about your job?
A couple of things. I control my day to a degree as I schedule appointments to fit my own schedule. I don’t have to sit in an office all the time. I can work from home, and I can decide how much I want to earn. - What do you enjoy least about your job?
Even though there are no limits when it comes to an income, it isn’t a stable salary at the end of each month. - Is there a qualification required to perform this job? Where and what did you study?
Yes. My basic training was through one of the big insurance houses. Then there is on-the-job training, formal qualifications to get. We also attend seminars and road shows from the different companies, and they come and do presentations at our corporate offices. - Is there any training provided by the organisation once you come on board?
Not directly. - What type of person would be well suited to this job?
Risk takers, ‘A’ type people do very well. - How long have you been in this position and how did you get there?
One year. In the 80s I worked in this industry for 4 years. I was looking for a job after returning from the UK and a position in the admin section became available. - Do you have any additional advice for someone interested in pursuing this career?
It’s a great career but can be really tough. You need to be a go-getter kind of person, able to work without supervision. - Is there anyone else in the industry that you would recommend I speak to?
Any successful broker. - What is the earning potential of this career?
The sky is the limit. - What is a typical starting salary in this career field?
The average income is around R15 000 pm. - Any quirky advice for scholars looking to pursue a career in your field?
Why not start in a bank or other financial institution…
FundiConnect 2cents
The outcome of this job is very dependent on how much effort you choose to put in. If you throw yourself into work early on in your career, you will reap the benefits later. You need to be willing to take risks and be willing to give some things up and compromise on situations. If you’re a go-getter then take a swing at this and discover your full potential.
