Sasha Wakefield, founder of the Paraplan Project, has called for better financial education in schools and said more needs to be done to show young people that it is possible to build a successful career without going to university.
Wakefield, who has worked in financial services since leaving school at the age of 16, recently set up her own outsourced paraplanning firm.
Based in Essex, the Paraplan Project now employees three people and offers services to advice firms across the UK.
From Wiltshire initially, Wakefield admits that before getting into financial services she dreamed of being a vet, but after doing her GCSEs and getting a role as a cashier in a bank she began to pivot.
Soon after, she moved into the platform space where she spent eight years before deciding to make the switch into paraplanning.
“I didn’t know anything about finance at that point. I remember the first day when I started working at the platform, I had not long turned 18 and I didn’t know what an Isa was. That’s how little I knew.
“No one in my family had come from that background, so it was all very different to me. The individuals I was mixing with were very different to people in my hometown and school,” Wakefield said.
On her decision to move into paraplanning, Wakefield said: “It just got to the point where I needed something a bit more challenging. Someone on my team was talking about paraplanning and it sounded quite geeky and technical and I said I want to find out more, that sounds perfect.”
From there, Wakefield began to properly explore what was involved in paraplanning and has now been working in the paraplanning profession for more than four years.
“I absolutely love it. There’s nothing that I can imagine doing apart from paraplanning, I think I’ve found my calling,” Wakefield told FTAdviser.
But starting out, Wakefield was surprised how difficult it was to get into it.
She began working in a local administration role and made it her goal to move into a paraplanning role within a year while studying for her diploma at the same time.
She also used this time to build a strong relationship with the paraplanner in her firm.
“When cases would come across I would be that annoying person asking questions and trying to build up my knowledge as organically as possible.
“I’m quite stubborn so if there is something I want to do I’ll do everything I can to achieve that goal,” Wakefield said.
Being a good employer
True to her word, she moved into a paraplanner position within the year and just under four years later set up the Paraplan Project.
"I set it up with the mission that we would really try and add value through the paraplanning service we provide," Wakefield explained.
