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Career in Financial Planning

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greg_nazvanovDr. Greg Nazvanov is known as one of the Australia’s 10 best financial advisers and specializes in Wealth Management, Technical Analysis, Financial Planning, Tax, Trusts, Asset Protection, Alternative Investments, Art and Real Estate. Greg Nazvanov has written several publications and Books which provide detailed information on Business Management, Financial Strategy, M&As, Art Investing, Estate & Succession Planning, Real Estate, Social Security and more. (Get links to this wealth of information here in this interview)

If you are looking for a career as a Financial Advisor then this is the place to get some pearls of wisdom from Dr. Nazvanov.

Greetings Greg, it is a pleasure to have you informing our readers who want to pursue a career in financial planning! Please tell us something about yourself and how you decided on a career as financial advisor?

Came from a family of academics, where the only assets they had were knowledge and creativity, yet mom and dad retired broke.  I did not want to end up like them and am proud that can take care of them now in their old age.

About Greg Nazvanov:

Dr Greg Nazvanov MBA is a professional financial planner and wealth management consultant with a successful track record of commitment to his clients.  Greg has built wealth management businesses for commercial banks and entrepreneurs by applying leading-edge expertise and collaboration to gain a foothold in several industries through professional networking.

Greg is a passionate philanthropist who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity and cultural organizations.  He gives away art, and buys paintings from Aboriginal art groups then donates them to charities. (The Philanthropist: creativity fosters community spirit”, Planner -The Financial Planning Magazine, FPA (April 2008, pp.40-43)

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Both activities bring huge benefits, by supporting the Aboriginal artists, and by the funds generated for the needy in Australia and overseas. Dr Nazvanov is a regular benefactor to the McDonald College and the McDonald Foundation Cultural Trust.

The McDonald Foundation Cultural Trust is a philanthropic foundation that supports the promotion of literature, music, a performing art, a visual art, a craft, design, film, video, television, radio, community arts, and Aboriginal arts.  Join Greg in his endeavors to Support the Trust. fin-planning-3

Financial Planning Expertise:

For the past 12 years, Greg has expanded his expertise in all aspects of Financial Planning and Wealth management.  He has been coaching and advising clients at INKOM Wealth Management, Citifinancial, Credit Suisse Private Bank, BT Financial Group, Westpac Private Bank and Westpac Business Banking, and worked in partnership with Macquarie Equities, Colonial First State, ING Funds Management, Deutsche Asset Management, Barclays Capital, Vanguard Investments, Investors Mutual, Merrill Lynch, Platinum Asset Management, Templeton, Man Investments, Fidelity, UBS and many other asset managers.

He is also an art specialist investment adviser and founded ArtTrust.com.au.

Apart from Greg’s many academic and professional qualifications in Finance, Human resources and management, his main strength lies in his ability to communicate with his valued clients and help them demystify the money-go-round.

In 2006, Greg Nazvanov became a CFP® or CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM practitioner.  The CFP® or certification is the global symbol of financial planning excellence.  As a CFP® professional, Nazvanov has completed rigorous study in financial planning, has extensive industry experience, and abides by the Financial Planning Association (FPA) Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct.

In February, 2007, Nazvanov was named as “One of the nation’s top 50 best financial planners” by Australian Financial Review Smart Investor (Feb 2007, p.46).  He was the only adviser from BT and Westpac to receive this award that year.

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Once again he was awarded as one of the top 10 financial planners in Australia in the prestigious Australian Financial Review Smart Investor Masterclass for Financial Planning in 2008 (Feb 2008, pp.52-53).  The award recognizes his high level of knowledge and expertise that enables him to provide exceptional advice to his clients.

The following is an excerpt from the article ‘Masterclass for Financial Planning’ that accompanied the announcement by FPA: “Forget investment advice – these days a planner needs to be a technical whiz with an in-depth knowledge of the myriad laws and rules that govern our financial affairs, as well as the nous to use that knowledge to work out strategies to come up with the best results for their clients.”  The Smart Investor fin-planning-6Masterclass was first introduced in 1998 in response to readers (of the then Personal Investor magazine) begging for recommendations for financial planners they could trust with their financial affairs. The Masterclass for Financial Planning is a test of technical knowledge of a financial planner and an ability to apply expertise to common scenarios.  The areas of knowledge tested in the exam include financial structures, tax, superannuation (including self managed super funds) asset allocation, social security, and investment strategies.  Professionals are eligible to sit the exam only if they are a CFP member of the FPA or a CPA financial planning specialist member of CPA Australia or a CA of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.”

fin-planning-7In 2009, Greg completed a MGSM Master of Business Administration (MBA) which has a reputation as a leading management qualification in the Asia-Pacific region. Renowned for its quality, flexibility and extensive subject range, the MSGM MBA is designed specifically for individuals in positions of responsibility who have been identified as possessing higher management and leadership potential, and for those who aspire to a general management position. The program is intensive and rigorous, with strong emphasis placed on workplace relevance.

fin-planning-8MGSM has received EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) international accreditation by the European Foundation for Management Development.  Leading business schools in Europe to have gained EQUIS accreditation include INSEAD and London Business School.

UNICON was established in 1972, initially as an informal common interest group of executive education program directors.  The group soon evolved into an incorporated, not-for-profit organisation with a commitment to thefin-planning-9 development of university-sponsored executive education.  With a key mission to promote executive education and foster its continued development, UNICON has become the pre-eminent voice for management and executive education and development worldwide.  Members of UNICON include Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge and many other leading business schools worldwide.  Candidate organisations must meet the rigorous requirements of UNICON’s membership criteria.  Only those organisations with the necessary resources, management structure and highly credible track record in the development and delivery of executive education are selected.  MGSM is included amongst the elite UNICON membership.

Greg loves market analysis and has created a system (with his team) offering FREE Mobile Financial apps for free including INKOM Blue that offers FREE LIVE access to global markets from India to London to LA to Hong Kong.

Having spent a decade in Business Advice for BT and Westpac Banking Corporation, Greg helps SME to startup grow and gives ALL ebooks for free.

 

What professional certifications are required to be a financial advisor? Is it different in all countries?

They differ from country to country.  In Australia, the financial advisers are licensed through ASIC.  ASIC Chairman, Mr Jeffrey Lucy, today reminded consumers that anyone providing financial advice or offering financial products needs to be licensed through ASIC.

A financial planner is a practicing professional who helps people deal with various personal financial issues through proper planning, which includes but is not limited to these major areas: cash flow management, education planning, retirement planning, investment planning, risk management and insurance planning, tax planning, estate planning and business succession planning (for business owners). The work engaged in by this professional is commonly known as personal financial planning. In carrying out the planning function, he is guided by the financial planning process to create a detailed strategy tailored to a client’s specific situation, for meeting a client’s specific goals.

As a financial planner, you are part of one of Australia’s most dynamic and fastest growing professions. The CFP Marks will allow you to set yourself apart from other financial planners.

Read more about CFP here.

In the above article you will also find some valuable information on how licensing for Financial planners works in different countries.

Does a financial advisor sell products or services or both? Please elaborate.

Most advisers view themselves as salespeople and use Risk analysis questionnaires and similar Profiling tools to box the client into a particular category, then sell them a preset amount of products based on the box that they tick.  In my early days in Banking & Wealth Management giving retail advice was somewhat a car manufacturing plant.  In the latter years at Westpac Banking Corporation I was given a rather peculiar title of an “Executive Business Hybrid Financial Planner”, which stands for “someone who works in a Hybrid role in the Private Bank, Business Bank and Institutional Bank and can provide a full range of advisory services to SMEs, corporate, government and private clients who are HNW individuals”.

As clients’ needs become increasingly complex and their orientation more global, they can only be addressed with tailored strategic advice in all areas, not just sell pre-set product from a list.
Often the strategy had to be tailored with the help of Technical Strategy experts like Sean Fannin (who is still at Westpac) and Aman Ramrakha (who since left to Commonwealth Bank). Clients could expect unique investment, insurance, business, retirement and estate planning advice and comprehensive financial planning. We did this with passion and full dedication.  My personal recipe for success is quite simple: We do well when our clients do well.  I first spoke about clients’ financial goals and objectives, their personal and business circumstances and understanding of different risks (liquidity, currency, market, etc) Only when we were clear about these aspects we devised an overall investment strategy covering all entities, both business and personal.

Product-wise, besides in-house managed portfolios, we used various external Absolute Return and Hedge Funds, Sector funds, ETFs, complex investment vehicles and approaches, structured solutions, ‘tax-effectives’, Corporate and personal pension plans, direct property trusts, actively managed direct equity portfolios and institutional bank solutions.
I had no product limitations and all of my time was spent on strategy and implementation.

How easy or difficult is to find clients if someone has recently stepped in the financial planning career with little or no experience?

Yes, working as an apprentice or asking for a work experience will typically help.  Having gained sufficient skills and expertise it is very easy now for me to network in social groups like Twitter or LinkedIn and ask for business, network through Chambers of Commerce or other professional groups.  For someone who just started they would have very little belief in themselves, usually not goal-driven and a mentor is the best gift they can have.  I had a mentor who was Dan O’Dea.  Dan originally created the Business Advice for Westpac Bank in Australia.  He was passionate and generous with his time, guiding me in the first 2 years before I could truly feel that I could stand on my both feet.  He since ran the Financial Planning at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and recently retired.

I am open to be a mentor for all planners out there, so that all of you can achieve your life dreams and aspirations.

What does your typical work day or week look like?

Depends on your time management and the size of the business.  These days I do not have an assistant to fill my diary, although at the Banks this is done for you. I make proactive calls; upload my books on Investing, Tax and other topics in forums and Social Media, then link back to my company webpage.  When people download my books, they leave their contact details and I call them asking if they need any clarification or further help.   This has been a very successful approach, where we get over 500 enquiries a month.  On top of that I network through Cultural Foundations, Charities, Business Groups  and alike to source further business.

I allocate 1.5-2 hours a day to creating and managing my new business flow, 1 hour to meet with my admin support staff regarding the status of submitted business, and the rest to face-to-face client meetings and strategy creation.  Our para-planning department will then prepare the financial plan based on my instructions.

What are some of the advantages and drawbacks in this profession?

Advantage is that if you do the right thing all the time for people, this is the most rewarding profession, as you feel like managing not just the money but people lives, holding their hand through all the hurdles that life throws at them.  The drawback is when the client is not tuned in, not willing to accept professional advice.  For example, if someone is spend-drift and refuses to follow budgeting, then the most perfect investment strategy may fail as a result.  The solution is to build a client base of homogenous clients, who appreciate your expertise and follow your advice.

Effectively, you assume a role of their personal CEO and they assume a role of the Chair-persons.

 

What have you found most challenging so far?

Work-life balance.  I finally had a break through where I block the time in my diary to focus on me and my family.  I now play the violin, dance Jazz and Latin, Scuba dive and Travel around the world.  I lost 52 kg in the past year with a personal trainer (again, one needs a mentor, a coach!) and now attend gym and swimming pool daily.

Greg’s View on Equity Markets

I have been in this advice business long enough and advised many people about owning shares via the traditional buy and hold, at any time and at any price method for long enough to know that hindsight and recent movement in share markets can lead to a range of emotions and views that are not always helpful.

Whilst feeling good about being invested in the share market from 2003 through 2007, even gains from the strongest bull market in history can vanish very quickly.  We are at a point in time where the risk of a long term sharemarket decline is very real and have written a book to explain those risks and what you can do about it.

Whilst it is always frustrating to watch the market go up sharply knowing you had funds that you wanted to have invested and quite possibly could have been invested, these gains could well be illusionary with the traditional methodology.

I am reluctant to blow my own trumpet too much, but what we use the Directional Market Decisions (DMD) technology which is literally unique to the financial planning or investment advice world.  It is literally a mathematical method to capture the large portion of market gains whilst avoiding the large portion of market declines.

As good a discovery as it is, it is so vastly different from anything we, let alone anyone else in the financial advice world, have tried to put into practice for clients before, that I needed to know I could properly implement it before putting client funds to work. DMD methodology, it works far better and with much less downside risk than any form of buy and hold investing, in both long term secular bull and secular bear markets.

As a final note, whilst I am convinced we have now entered a secular bear market in the U.S., which will most likely spill over substantially to the rest of the world, whether this holds true or not (and of course only time will tell whether this is indeed the case as the next few years unfold), investing via the DMD methodology with a facility that allows me to do this for our clients, is a dramatically safer way to invest than anything either of us have seen before, with far better results as well.

Your website and contact information?

Website 

Twitter  

Linkedin

 

Other Resources:

You can also apply for a a bachelors or masters program in finance or accounting through the website phoenix.19gi.comwhich offers online or campus based degree programs.

Related Articles:

Financial Planner Licensing in Different Countries

Financial Analysts and Personal Financial Advisors – BLS website

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Financial Planner Licensing in Different Countries

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This information is provided by Dr. Greg Nazvanov one of the Australia’s 10 best financial advisers who was interviewed by Careerbright for information on career in Financial Planning. Read the complete interview here.

Australia

In Australia, the financial planning services are initially delineated by law by the granting of licence to deal in securities or advise on investments. Licences are issued under stringent criteria by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which has evolved these regulations vigorously over the years. Financial planning is now a highly regulated industry in Australia especially where financial advice to the public is involved. Practitioners who offer advice that could influence a client’s decision to purchase a financial product must meet minimum training requirements and be licensed by the ASIC. The meaning of ‘licenced’ refers to Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) holders and representatives or authorised representatives of licence holders. Broadly, most people embarking in financial planning will start as an authorised representative of a licence holder.

Becoming a financial planner in Australia involves two main steps:

  1. Meet the training requirements of Regulation Guideline 146;
  2. Select a licence holder with whom to be affiliated.

The licence holder is the authorised representative, and will be ultimately responsible for the advice given by the planner. The licence holder therefore must make sure the representatives meet all compliance and training prerequisites. As of November 2005, there were approximately 4,300 licence holders registered with ASIC and over 42,500 authorised representatives in Australia.

Malaysia

The first country to introduce legislation that requires a person to be licensed before he can hold himself out to be a ‘financial planner’ is Malaysia. Financial planning is considered a newer profession in the Asian region as compared to those in the west, such as the United States and Australia where the profession is more established. The Securities Commission (SC) of Malaysia introduced legislation through amendments made to the Securities Industry Act in 2003 to regulate financial planning and the use of the title or related-title of ‘financial planner’ or to conduct activities related to financial planning

In 2005, amendments to the Malaysian Insurance Act require those who carry out financial advisory business (including financial planning activities related to insurance) and/or use the title of financial adviser under their firm (which, like in Singapore, must be a corporate structure) to obtain a licence from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).Some persons who offer financial advisory services, e.g. licenced life insurance agents, are exempted from licensing as a practising requirement.

Again, in 2007, the Capital Market Services Act (CMSA) comes into force as another of the consolidation exercises of the government to move the industry towards a one regime regulatory environment.

As it currently stands, one of the basic requirements to apply for a financial planner or financial adviser licence in Malaysia is that the key company officers, e.g. directors, must be an RFP designee (most if not all Malaysian FChFP designees also carry the RFP designation). Subsequently, in September 2006, the CFP qualification is included as one of the alternatives that can be used by the financial adviser licence applicant. With this development, the demand for financial planning courses has begun to take root in more concrete forms in Malaysia. The licence applicant must also be a member of a self-regulatory organisation (SRO) in financial planning recognised by the authorities. For this purpose, the two SROs currently recognised by both the Security Commission and Bank Negara are the Malaysia Financial Planning Council (MFPC) and the Financial Planning Association of Malaysia (FPAM). The purpose of this requirement is to ensure some form of self-supervision for persons practicing financial planning.

USA and Other countries

In some countries, e.g., the United States, financial planners must be registered as an investment advisor first. This requires an employee within a firm to pass the series 65 or 66 Registered Investment Advisor Exam. A private advisor or company can apply to the state and SEC for an RIA Registered Investment Advisor License or Status.

Being ‘licensed’ to practice financial planning is not the same as merely having a professional ‘qualification’ in financial planning. A person may be professionally qualified in financial planning, but without a licence required by the law, he cannot practice the trade in that country or call himself a financial planner there. As of now, there are quite a bit of qualifications related to financial planning that can be found in world. The most prestigious financial planning designations are those which are not just of advanced standing and well-known, but are also recognised by the relevant authorities for licensing purpose.

In some places, individual employees within a licensed & registered Investment Advisor firm such as a: brokerage, bank or insurance company may be exempt if providing complementary financial planning services in relation to their existing products and services. Moreover, financial planners should be extremely careful in providing estate planning or taxation advice for a fee, as these fields are highly regulated by government agencies that control the practice of lawyers and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). The term “Investment Advisor” also includes any person who uses the title “financial planner” and who, for compensation, engages in the business, whether principally or as part of another business, of advising others, either directly or through publications or writings, as to the value of securities or as to the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, or who, for compensation and as part of a regular business, publishes analyses or reports concerning securities.

From the California Department of Corporations

A financial planner will be registered with the state if he or she has less than $25 million in assets under management (AUM), and with the SEC if he or she has more than $30 million in AUM. The planner is required to present a client with the ADV Part II or equivalent before the client enters into a contract with the planner. No certification, tests or training ensure that any planner is suitable for the client or any investor, and it is important to read the ADV Part II, interview them, and fully understand any contract.

History of certifications in financial planning across the globe

In a newly emerging profession such as financial planning, there is a lack of regulation, especially in the early years of development. The need for some forms of self-regulation and the demand that a financial planner be competent and trustworthy have prompted several independent financial services organizations to introduce certifications and ethical benchmarks to meet these challenges in accordance to the need in each country. Those who meet the requirement of the certification process and ethical standards will be awarded a professional financial planning designation.

One of the oldest, best-known financial planning certification trademarks is the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification, which has gained global recognition because of its active standard setting activities and worldwide presence. CFP certification was first introduced in the United States in the early 1970s to meet the need of the consumers. CFP Board, based in Washington, D.C. owns the CFP marks within the United States. The CFP marks are owned outside of the United States by Financial Planning Standards Board, a non-profit standards-setting body based in Denver, Colorado.

CFP Board was founded in July 1985 as the International Board of Standards and Practices for Certified Financial Planners, Inc., (IBCFP) by the College for Financial Planning (College) and the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP). The IBCFP became Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) on February 1, 1994. As a professional regulatory organization acting in the public interest by fostering professional standards in personal financial planning, the CFP Board establishes and enforces education, examination, experience and ethics requirements for CFP certificants. The CFP service mark is promoted world-wide through member associations, the FPAs.

The Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner (FChFP) designation was developed by the National Association of Malaysian Life Insurance and Financial Advisors] (NAMLIFA) in 1996. The designation was adopted by the Asia Pacific Financial Services Association (APFinSA) in 2001 as the unified designation for its member associations in 11 countries.

The Registered Financial Planners Institute (RFPI) formed in 1983 in the United States to promote professionalism among those who are or will be active in the field of financial planning for individuals and businesses. The RFPI is an international organization with chapters and members throughout the world. The RFPI offers study programs both in classroom conducted seminars and correspondence courses. RFPI is a collective membership of financial planners and is designed to serve the interest of both its members and the general public in matters relating to financial planning. RFPI recognizes qualified individuals by designation of RFP, SRFP who are in the field of financial planning which would include: insurance, attorneys, real estate, bankers, CPAs, stock brokers, securities or other professionals licensed in similar fields that have the ability to properly financial plan individuals or businesses in their related fields. In a separate development, the Malaysian Financial Planning Council, incidently also introduced a professional designation for financial planners called Registered Financial Planner (RFP) in 2004, which was recognised by the regulatory bodies, Bank Negara and Securities Commission in the country for the purpose of licensing financial planner.

The Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) credential was established for CPAs in the United States who specialize in personal financial planning. The credential is awarded exclusively to members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) who have demonstrated considerable experience and expertise in that area. As of today, the AICPA has granted approximately 3,300 CPA/PFS credentials.

In Australia, the financial planning specialisation, CPA (FPS), is available to those members of CPA Australia who can demonstrate their eligibility through experience and education within the financial services industry.

The objectives of the FPS designation are to:

  • achieve public recognition for those who hold the specialisation;
  • enhance the quality of financial planning services that members provide; and
  • increase practice development and career opportunities for CPAs.

The FPS designation is available to CPAs, and is based on a points system, where a minimum of 100 points must be accrued. Although all CPA Australia members who provide financial product advice must be licensed by ASIC, a member does not have to be licensed to first obtain the CPA (FPS) designation.

The Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) is another financial planning qualification, conferred by The American College. To date, more than 41,000 individuals have attained this distinction. This designation has also spread to Asia, where designees are found in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong.

In Europe, the €uropean Financial Planner (€FP) designation conferred by the €uropean Financial Planning Association (€FPA) is gaining ground as a financial planning certification mark. The €FPA is the largest professional and educational organisation for financial planners and financial advisors in Europe and is the only Financial Planning Association created solely in the interest of European financial planning consumers and practitioners.

Globally the Chartered Wealth Manager (CWM) is one of the fastest growing financial planner specializations which focuses on developing critical relationship management skills for financial planners and advisors. The designation is conferred by the Board of Standards of the American Academy of Financial Management in 145 countries.

The rest of the certification qualifications related to financial planning include: Fellow, Financial Services Institute (conferred by LOMA, USA; the Certified Private Banker designation (conferred by the American Academy of Financial Management); the Certified Financial Marketing Consultant (CFMC) conferred by the Institute of Marketing Malaysia.

Accredited business school, training centers and other providers

Globally, cross-recognition agreements are being developed to facilitate the learning of financial planning. The 2 major accrediting agencies, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), which accredit over 560 of the best business school programs, provide the Certification of MFP Master Financial Planner Professional from the American Academy of Financial Management, which is available to AACSB and ACBSP business school graduates with finance or financial services related concentrations.

CFP® Marks

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® and the Mark are the global symbol of excellence in financial planning.CFP practitioners have completed rigorous study in financial planning, have extensive industry experience and abide by the FPA Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct.

The CFP Marks are owned outside the United States by the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). In 1990, the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) became the first international organisation to be licensed to award CFP certification. FPA is the sole certification authority in Australia.

Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB)

A non-profit, international standards-setting body, FPSB’s mission is to benefit the global community by establishing, upholding and promoting worldwide professional standards in financial planning. Its commitment to excellence is represented by the CFP and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Marks.

FPSB serves the needs of global consumers by establishing, maintaining and enforcing consistent, high level standards for the affiliates that currently administer the CFP Certification Program around the world.

Governance

FPSB is governed by a nine-member board of directors and has an advisory council made up of representatives from the 17 organisations offering CFP certification internationally (FPSB Affiliates) and two organisations in the process of becoming FPSB Affiliates. Currently, the Chair and a director of the FPSB Board are Australian.

FPSB Affiliates have authorised more than 102,000 individuals to use the CFP Marks worldwide. Each organisation has endorsed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification process as the best means of demonstrating financial planner competency and ethical behaviour. Members of the Council work to promote the CFP certification marks as the global symbol of excellence in financial planning.

More information on the FPSB can be viewed at www.fpsb.org

About CFP:

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, CFP® and the Mark are international marks representing the highest professional certification that can be awarded to a financial planner. CFP practitioners have completed rigorous study in financial planning, have extensive industry experience and abide by the FPA Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct.

See the video below that brings to life the CFP Marks that represent the global symbol of excellence in financial planning.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, please confirm you have the latest version of adobe flash by clicking here.

The four Es

To become certified, candidates are required to meet the following four initial certification requirements (known as the four “Es”):
Education, Examination, Experience, Ethics

Education and examination

To meet the education and examination requirements for CFP® certification candidates are required to successfully complete the CFP Certification Program consisting of five units.

CFP Certification Program

The CFP Certification Program is specifically designed to meet the education and competency standards for the internationally recognised designation, Certified Financial Planner. The CFP Certification Program consists of five units:

  • CFP1 Ethics professionalism and compliance
  • CFP2 Applied Strategies 1
  • CFP3 Applied Strategies 2
  • CFP4 Investment Strategies
  • CFP5 Certification Assessment

Pre-requisites for entry

  1. Current individual membership of the FPA
  2. Twelve months appropriate relevant experience, Candidates who do not hold Authorisation with an AFS Licensee must submit their Record of Experience for verification by the FPA before enrolment will be approved
  3. One of the following education pathways:

a. Approved bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or higher in financial planning;
b. Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or higher in a finance-related discipline that has been assessed by the FPA for entry;
c. Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or higher in a non-finance-related discipline PLUS Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning) or FPA Diploma of Financial Planning.

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Why Success Evades Me?

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Is success evading you or taking longer to arrive despite your best efforts?

Some of the new entrepreneurs cite this as one of their major concerns – How do I hang on to my dream when success is taking longer than anticipated to arrive?

The answer lies in:

  • Evaluation of your goals, your efforts
  • Understanding the present conflicts
  • Preparing conducive strategies
  • Being ready to change or evolve


When you look at the above statement (Can I hang…) you see three issues here – “hanging on” is closer to survival and “success” of course means success in your profession and “taking longer” is more in respect to today’s changing times or we may call it depressing times of economic downturn.
We must discuss these three issues separately to arrive any closer to a solution (which again is difficult to achieve because a “solution” is unique for all different situations, it cannot be generalized).


Persistent Efforts

Evaluate your efforts – how persistent they have been, how focused you have been to achieve success? Nothing can happen if you don’t make continuous, focused efforts to make it happen. What have you done today that gets you closer to your short-term and long-term goals. Don;t fool yourself with half-hearted attempts, the results will not change. Put in more and put in more often.

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with great talent. Genius will not. Un-rewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

~ President Calvin Coolidge

 

Survival of the Fittest

To survive tough times is what many around us are doing and no doubt it is tough for small businesses and start-ups. What would help you hang on and survive this downturn? Take time to write down what you are doing now that is not working and what could be a work around to help you hang on there for one year or more in your business.
You may have great ideas but with no funding and dwindling personal funds, there is no way you can hang on; so financial stability forms the basis of survival at present in addition to several others factors of course. Know what your present conflicts are and how can you focus on resolutions.

And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department.
~ Andrew Carnegie

 

Be Ready to Change

Stop being afraid of changes or to move on – that’s one major deterrent to success. Times change and requirements change be ready to change and learn from your failures or experiences.

For inspiration ponder on these quotes by Dr. Spencer Johnson author of the awesomely inspiring book “Who Moved My Cheese?”

1. Change Happens – They keep moving the Cheese

2. Anticipate Change – Get ready for the Cheese to move

3. Monitor Change – Smell the Cheese often so you know when it is getting old

4. Adapt to Change Quickly – The quicker you let go of Old Cheese, the sooner you can enjoy New Cheese

5. Change – Move with the Cheese

6. Enjoy Change – Savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of New Cheese

7. Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again and again

 

Success as it means to YOU

What does success mean to you at present? It may be meeting the ends, or achieving a certain percentage of sales or reaching that one million revenue mark you had set for yourself at the onset of your venture. As said before, success is different for all. Take time to revisit your goals and vision of your company or venture, where you are now, how bad or good is it and how worse or better can it get in the coming year. It is time to evaluate, reassess and reorganize keeping in mind that still spending is low and sales are dismal.

Here apart from the statistics you need inspiration and I would recommend that you read Zig Zaglar. One of his books, “Success for Dummies” could be the one you can start with this season, you will be inspired and will be able to define what success means to you (oh yes, the emphasis very confidently is on “will”). Find it out for yourself!

“Success doesn’t come to you…you go to it.”
–Marva Collins


Success takes longer during RECESSION

This statement may or may not be true – again “success” cannot be generalized, there have been many instances in recent one or two years where quite a few small business owners have launched new successful ventures and those who had them for sometime are thriving and earning more than they expected. Do ask me if you want to read such success stories, will be glad to pass on some relevant links on this topic. (here is one such link I want to share with you: Recession Success Stories)
But let’s focus on why it is taking longer for the rest of us.

It is quite obvious by the definition of recession that we are in some troubled economic times for and success is very much tied to the amount to money you make from a business to survive or thrive. These are the times to reinvent and try out different things to see what can be done to make things better not just sit and lament that “recession is here, this is bound to happen”.

Do not generalize an outcome based on circumstances; motivate and inspire yourself to make the best of these times.
To do this please revisit the two questions asked in this post above and see if you see any answers to this particular question for your situation. Else write your comments to this post and let’s see how we all can put our heads together to find out a “near” solution.

But before you do so, here are some good tips from Daniel Kehrer on 7 Makeover Tips for Recession Success, worth a read.

“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.”
– Orison Swett Marden 


 

Some other Resources for inspiration:

“Celebrate your success and stand strong when adversity hits, for when the storm clouds come in, the eagles soar while the small birds take cover”

 

Question: What have you done to motivate yourself when you feel that success evades you?

 

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5 Essential things to know when you start your First Job

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first-impressionCongratulations! You are on the way to join your new job, but do not do so before reading these very essential tips.

“Welcome Aboard” – Don’t Fall Overboard

As a new employee you may find yourself in a “honeymoon” period for some time when you join your new job – the time period varies for each one of us. In general terms it may last for a couple of days or a week or ten days.. seldom more. This period is all “welcomy” hand shaking and receptions with your colleagues getting introduced in the meetings and getting the new “goodies” for example a new laptop, PDA or other items pertaining to your industry. It is up to you how you make the best of this period. You can be all smiles and bright eyed enjoying the new found freedom and respect, but make sure you do your best to make a lasting impression – this is your first impression with those you meet. What would you do? Pause here; take time to write down your thoughts before reading ahead.

Once done, read on.
My suggestion in the first few days of your new work is to keenly and enthusiastically observe the work culture of your new workspace, your boss and your co-workers. Do not jump in with ideas and “I could suggest another way to get this done” even if you find the urge to do so. You will get plenty of time soon after. The first couple of weeks must be spent getting acquainted with your workplace, getting to know your boss’ work hours, how he conducts meetings and what are his expectations (if they have been conveyed to you already in a welcome meeting). The point is KNOW before you ACT. It pays to observe and plan your actions accordingly than to just go ahead showing how smart you are.

Since you are trying to make your first impressions last, make sure that you talk cordially to your HR personnel, your IT staff – when they come to install your new equipment at your office/cubicle and the administrative staff whom you could be contacting off and on to know the whereabouts of a meeting room or just getting acquainted with the layout of the building or canteen. If you are not working in an office space spread out your cordiality and friendliness to the staff you are introduced to and show eagerness to learn not to tell them what you already know. Also most people liked to be asked, even if you are sure of how things work or operate it is good to ask just to be sure that you not mess up something and ruin your first impression. Asking does not make you look dumb, it eventually makes you more knowledgeable, you get to know that things can be done differently.

Know your BOSS – Time to set Goals and Expectations

Your first meeting with your boss to discuss your job description, expectations and the project you will be working on should be set in the first week of your joining the job. If not take on the initiative to ask your supervisor on when can the first meeting be set. Taking initiatives puts you your boss’ good books.

In this meeting – discuss with your boss on the short-term and long-term goals. Also feel free to ask during this meeting who all in the team you should consult in case you are unable to understand the task. And when you know are the go-to people ensure that you introduce yourself to them within the week itself and present your eagerness to learn from them (note: do this even if you have no problems yet). It pays in the long-run to be in the good books of the “go-to” people. What is more important these people can be your mentors and you learn from their experiences.

During the meeting with your boss take notes (both mental and written) and always follow up (soon after the meeting) with an email to paraphrase what has been said and also to confirm your tasks and deadlines. It is very important to know and set expectations upfront. You performance reviews and even your job might be at stake on this very important point!

Read more at: How to Talk to your Boss about your Career Goals

RESEARCHRead and Know your Company Policies

This again is a very important step and must be performed in the first few days (it would be awesome if you could get this done in the first two days itself, you will find it difficult to complete if you let it dwindle past these first few days). Research your company policies, read any company manuals and employee handbooks that you have been given by the HR or your manager. Note: if you have not received any manuals or links on the company intranet to read about general policies – you MUST ask for them. Ask your HR contact or your immediate boss. Do not ignore this step. You will soon find yourself overwhelmed by learning new tools and tasks at hand and getting to know the company code of ethics or sharing confidential data contract (that you do not even know you are signed for as an employee of that company) might fall in the back seats. To make you understand how important this step is let me try to scare you by saying this: if you are not aware of the company policies on how proprietary information or trade secrets information should be handled or even some small things as accepting or offering substantial gifts within or outside the organization, you may be in serious trouble if even you conduct a breach in confidence of these important policies. Disciplinary, legal and possible termination is very much the possibility thereafter.

Work Hard

In the first few weeks and months your new workplace you would have to work harder than others and also sometimes would have to put in long hours to complete some tasks. Prepare yourself mentally and physically for the same. There are new tools to be learnt and learning something new is always tougher at the beginning. You might of dreamed of having this new found freedom, your first paycheck, hanging out with friends and spending more when you joined your first job and not had given much thought about. But the reality is there is no shortcut to success. Work hard, sincerely and honestly and you shall find satisfaction and recognition at work.

It is your attitude that is on test now – how willing you are to learn new things and also how well you can ask questions around to get the help you need to accomplish these tasks. You career success depends on working smart and showing discipline and initiative at work. Pay attention to daily details – what did you achieve today, what was not working out and why, could asking others would have helped me complete on this task earlier? All such trivial questions and pondering can take you up the corporate ladder or to your definition of success day by day. Work on them every day else every week.

Again, be ready to work harder and long hours in the first few months of your job at least. Once you get a hang of things, your tasks will seem easier and faster to complete.

talk-peopleNever Eat Alone

Alright this one is the “cool” one! The first four points above have taken some time to digest and you have a lot to do, this 5th essential tip for new position holders is also very important and can be easily done. Do not eat alone. Your first few months in the new organization are also very crucial in building a good healthy network – of friends and those you can rely on for help when the going gets tough at the workplace.

Networking also enables you to find the “right” mentors; whom you can connect with easily and they can also benefit from your knowledge or company. It takes time to find “friends” and those you can trust, so consider your lunch time as the “networking time”. This also keeps you focused on the job when it is time to work and provides a “happy hour” meeting new people and making new friends.

Networking should also move on beyond your workplace, if you find a good Toastmasters group that you would like to join to improve your communications or presentation skills; do so. If you can accompany a colleague to a trade show or expo of your company – volunteer; these conferences and meetings present you with an opportunity to meet people outside of your organization and widen your network. The point is expand your network right from the start but do not be obsessed with it, your first task is to do your job well and having a healthy and knowledgeable network supplements your ability to do things well and think beyond the box.

These tips above might be useful for your friends or family who are soon to join their first job, don’t forget to send these to them – I am sure they would be very thankful!

And don’t forget to add your tips here on what other tips can make your first few months at the job fruitful and get some long lasting satisfying results at the workplace.


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How to be good Employee – lessons from SpongeBob

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If you have a young child at home you probably have seen many  SpongeBob Squarepants episodes over and over again. Yes, he may sound silly and act childish but SpongeBob has a lot to teach us on how to be a good employee..

Here’s how I found some lessons to be learnt from SpongeBob: (Do share yours too!)

SpongeBob is an enthusiastic and happy worker

SpongeBob has been the “employee of the month” for many months and takes pride in displaying his monthly photo to his friend Patrick. He is also a very happy worker, we often see him singing while working and that happy toothy smile is the most SpongeBob fans would remember.

Lesson learnt: You could be grouchy or grumpy at work or can be the happy chappy which our SpongeBob is, but just see Squidward – of the two who would you want to be? Do what you like and also like what you do (Do it this way – first do what you like and then enjoy doing it, enthuse others as well on the job!) Be enthusiastic at your job and serve your customers happily! If you lack motivation; seek one, it could be to get a pay raise or that promotion, strive to be the “employee of the month” in your eyes.

Always ready to “learn” new tools

In one of the episodes SpongeBob dreams of getting this new “high-tech” spatula, but realizes that all frills and glamour does not mean it is the perfect tool for the job.

Employee lesson: Learn new tools and skills at work but respect and be an expert on your old ones. Being perfect at some tool rather than getting lost in the new tools/tech maze is something you should focus on first.

Always protects confidential data

SpongeBob has been lured umpteen times by the “evil” plankton to give up on the Krabby patty formula but all attempts have been foiled so far. The formula is safe.

Lesson learnt- As an employee you must protect all company information and never trade in for money or other attempts from conspiring parties. Also please protect your laptop, you have lots of information on your company laptop and PDAs ensure safety at all times!


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Do you have any inappropriate Webpages or Posts we must know about?

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Yes of course, this is an interview question! And as the web evolves and how we use the social networking sites or some new applications which would be popping up in the future, the interview questions would add more such questions to the list.

If your answer is no, then there is not much to fear (assuming you are speaking the truth) but if the answer is yes or you say “no” to evade the question for now; you could be in trouble (trouble in the sense that you would not get the job offer if they find out you lied or face a later termination if you have a job contract which follows strict privacy, employee decency or non-posting of ‘undesirable’ content online).

Are there ways you can remove your online footprints?

If you really want to remove your previous postings which could be hazardous to a job offer, consider deleting your account first. There are ways of doing so and this article: How to Delete Accounts from Any Website tells you how. Now since most of the follies reported are from the Facebook account you may want to look at this tip from this website: How to permanently delete your facebook account

And of course now you are on Twitter too.. and your short not-so-cool responses might be retweeted and there are now in the tweetsphere. Before you ask: How to delete a tweet.

How to delete your undesirable comments?

Not only postings and videos there are many people who have posted many comments which on retrospective they hope no one will read. But the web is unrelenting; most of the stuff online can be searched and if you want your name not showing under the list of inappropriate content then follow these tips here:

How to Delete Your Own (YouTube) Video Comments

How to Delete Comments on MySpace

Do you have more tips? Share with us.


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5 Essential Tips you MUST KNOW Before Launching Your Business

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Seven out of ten new employer firms last at least two years, and about half survive five years. More specifically, according to new Census data, 69 percent of new employer establishments born to new firms in 2000 survived at least two years, and 51 percent survived five or more years.

Source: U.S Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Business Dynamics Statistics.

Looking at the above statistics the probability of your business being a success or a failure in say 5 years from now is pretty much 50/50!

You have that special big idea and are all set to start your own businees, but looking at the above stats and depending on where you want to see yourself in 5 years, it is time to get set and know these essential tips before you launch your business.

1. Read Research Research

Emphasis on knowledge is a very important step towards building any skill set or starting a business. What you are about to do has been done over and over again somewhere sometime (in all likelihood, of course your ideas may be new or truly path breaking but some inspiration can be derived from other’s previous experiences). And where do you get this knowledge and inspiration?

  • Read relevant magazines for example: Entrepreneur, Inc. and if you want something readymade then there are solutions around, for example the Entrepreneur magazine’s Startup Guides give you all the information you need to start your dream business (see link: http://www.smallbizbooks.com/ )
  • Read the newspapers and information on websites like SBA.gov which assist you with detailed information from putting your plan on paper to legal assistance to your local resources. Look up this FAQ page which might answer many questions you have right now http://www.sba.gov/ADVO/stats/sbfaq.txt
  • SCORE (in the US) is “the counselor to American Small Business”, the website (http://score.org/ ) provides very detailed how-to guides and business tools to guide you through the planning and execution process of your dream venture. A very cool page is that of Resources for Young Entrepreneurs. And if you want a personal touch there are various SCORE centers around the nation which provide free and confidential small business mentoring.

2. Business Plan and Goals

Before you even dream about having an empire or making that first million in whatever time frame you have set – make sure that your plans and time frame for execution are practical and doable. A solid planning is the key to success in whatever you do. Must read article on Inc. columns: How to Structure a Business Plan. This article goes through a step by step process in helping you develop the business plan that can be the foundation for your success.While preparing your business plan make sure that you focus separately on your short-term and long-term goals. When on the way to achieving your short-term goals never lose sight of the long-term ones. The short –term goals must strengthen your vision of success and achievement of your dream venture.

3. Legal Awareness

There is this one very good info article on Entrepreneur.com which talks about the legal tips as an outline, good way to start here – gain knowledge on what is being discussed here and then delve deeper into whatever topic is most relevant to your business type. Read the tips at SCORE’s Top Legal Tips. (The legal matters and taxes are different in different countries, if you are not in the US or starting a business worldwide, ensure that you spend some time gaining knowledge on your particular country (or the country where you are planning to start your business); it is also strongly advised to seek an attorney in your country of business to understand and deal with any legal matters that might crop up now or later.

4. Financial Planning

Financial awareness and planning is a very essential skill to master if you want to be a survivor in the tough business sector. You may have a great idea, valuable skills and a team to execute your plans to action, but without a sound financial backing and a plan to sustain in the long-term your venture might not see the light of the day. Some very good tips on this topic are here (please take time to read and apply to your situation):

5. Work Hard

There may be many alluring stories around of how people are making hundred and thousands of dollars by “working on two hours a day” or the easy money without “any work”. Remember that there is no shortcut to success. Be prepared to work long hours and also work hard to reach the benchmarks you set for yourself along the way. Breaking down large tasks into small steps can be the ideal way to celebrate your “first achievement” or reaching that first benchmark that seems like an unreachable rugged mountain. Don’t take short cut to success – your careful planning and hard work will reap long-lasting results. A lot has been said about it but still it features in the first 5 steps you must know about when launching your business.

Some other articles and resources you must read:
The Basics of Starting a Home-Based Business


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Down Economy Sprouts Entrepreneurial Bloom

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“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

 The quote above is one strong inspiration to quit your job and to follow your dreams – to be on the adventurous entrepreneurial path. The slowdown in the worldwide economy is resulting in a job drought but even in the dry scenario there are blossoms of entrepreneurial spirit all around the world. For some of these budding entrepreneurs, it is a “lets-try-and-see” approach for many it was an urge suppressed somewhere beneath which had earlier been unable to surface because our day to day routine and the full-time job fills up the time and the creative bubble never found time enough to shape into an idea or action. But since there are not many jobs around and those in the layoff have that extra time at hand; it presents an exciting opportunity to live with your own thinking and time to bring your own creation to life!

Then long-term and short-term goals of these budding entrepreneurs might be different. For some it is a wonderful learning experience, but they are not so sure whether it could be a long-term commitment mainly because they are not seeing the revenue stream as yet. And for some it has been more profitable than their full-time job.

Patrick May puts it all together on the Mercury News columns:

Their motives are all over the map. Some are looking for a little income during their job search. As David Noel scanned the job market’s bleak horizon earlier this year, he recalled this week, “I felt I had a better chance of creating my own job than of finding one.” So the San Mateo software-product manager started rechargeablebatteryservices.com to address — and profit from — the prodigious use of double- and triple-A batteries by government and industry.
Others are simply bored to death with online résumés and figure they’ve got nothing to lose by starting a small-time enterprise fueled by a big-time passion. After she lost her job with an East Bay nonprofit, Shannon Bowen went into her swing-dance default mode, launching a dance business.

Not only in the Silicon Valley or the US, the new sprouts are all over the world. 60% of Canadian entrepreneurs believe the current global recession is creating new opportunities for small business.

Daily Commercial News reports:

Canada’s entrepreneurs are looking ahead to the next year with expectations for improvement. One in four entrepreneurs surveyed reported having sold fewer products or services in the past 12 months, but one in three now expect to sell more products or services in the coming year. Thirty-nine percent of entrepreneurs surveyed expect to create a new product, service or technology.
“These findings prove that the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and well in Canada, no matter the economic climate,” said Dr. Roberts.

You may or may not be successful in what you have begun now, but the journey itself is well worth it and more so the job market may be down and under but the entrepreneur in you looks positively to the blooms ahead. Ultimately, what is satisfying on walking the entrepreneurial path is not the end result but the exciting journey itself. It is that special journey which teaches you how to create, how to innovate, how to manage, how to inspire and then how to make money on your own. To do all this every day – is exciting; each day to look forward to something new and exciting – that is what the entrepreneurial spirit is all about.’

“Unemployment is custom-made for starting a new venture,” says Chris Gill, president of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs. “You’ve got the time, and if you’ve got the passion, you can start a business. And while only 50 percent of them survive five years, if you’re lucky the money can start to add up.”

 

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Your Brain at Work

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What are your biggest challenges at work?
Time management, prioritizing, multitasking, staying cool under pressure, succeeding… and the list goes on. We all want a lot from ourselves and wouldn’t it be nice to know how exactly to achieve what we want.
Here is a review of the book “YOUR BRAIN AT WORK – Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day long” that attempts to explain how our brains work at work and teaches readers how to organize, prioritize, and perform better in the workplace – despite a daily load of overwhelming challenges (and of course the title says it all too!). Right at the introduction page one, the author, David Rock, tells you how this book can help you:
“This book will help you work smarter, be more focused and productive, stay cool under pressure, reduce the length of meetings, and even tackle the hardest challenge of all: influencing other people.”

isn’t that what we all are looking for?

And that was one of my reasons to read this book – the title captured my attention –“Your Brain at Work”; I truly believe that anything is possible if we train our brains that way and if this book helps me understand how I react and how I should react in certain circumstances than this is a must-read book for sure. To be successful one needs to go through a lot of thinking (read brain work) – to get organized, to plan, to execute, to manage, to dream success, to deal with failures and many other things that come along. It is the brain at work that manages it all and how well it manages depends on how well we have trained our brains.
The book is structured in a form of play, the characters are introduced upfront and through the acts I got to know them more and soon became a participant in the analysis of their situations and their reactions to them. It is through vivid examples that we learn much better; and this book has successfully accomplished what it initially took upon.
One of the main problems we all face – time management – has been presented well and some thoughtful suggestions we breeze through the lives of the characters brings in new ideas to avoid being overwhelmed. David rightly summarizes; “As the world digitizes, globalizes, unplugs, and reorganizes, having too much to do has become our biggest compliant.”

Who is this book for?
I would say everyone who wants to understand how to improve performance at workplace or in day-today life. Won’t you?

Some of the tips from this book that you can use right away:

  • Schedule the most attention-rich tasks when you have a fresh and alert mind.
  • Group information into chunks whenever you have too much information.
  • To stay in a positive state of mind, find ways to keep coming out ahead of your expectations over and again, even in small ways.
  • Playing against yourself to improve your understanding of your own brain can be a powerful way of increasing your performance.
  • Practice using solution-focused questions that focus people’s attention directly on the specific circuits you want to bring to life.

For more tips and to know your brain more, get this book at: Amazon.com

See here to know more:

(Please Note: I have not been paid to write this review, it is a sincere opinion and my wish to present the readers of this blog to get to know good books that bring value to day to day work life and overall improve our strengths)

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Clean Tech gets Millions in Funding – The Jobs for the next decade could be here

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The new agency (Arpa-e) received initial funding of $400 million through the federal stimulus act. In all, 37 grants were handed out to small business, research groups and large corporations in the first round of funding for a total of $151 million.

  • Awards included $2.2 million to University of Minnesota researchers working on organisms that use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into sugars, and another organism to create gasoline and diesel from the sugars
  • $9 million to du Pont to produce an advanced biofuel from seaweed

And in the SF Bay Area:

  • Envia Systems, based in Hayward, received $4 million for its work to develop higher-density lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric cars, as well as electronic gadgets.
  • NanOasis in Richmond was awarded more than $2 million to develop a process that could dramatically reduce the cost and energy needed for desalination to supply fresh water for farmers and cities.
  • PAX Streamline in San Rafael received $3 million for low-cost wind turbine technology.
  • Porifera, of Hayward, given more than $1 million, is researching a membrane that can capture carbon dioxide.
  • Stanford University garnered nearly $5 million to create systems that enable people to easily monitor home and office energy use in order to conserve energy.
    (Source of the above information: San José Mercury News)

From such news you can find out exactly which companies will be hiring in the next year or so and if your expertise falls in related fields it is time to spruce up your resume and relevant skill set to get in the clean-tech sector. Also if you are looking forward to reinvent your career and want to re-train in the clean energy area, you now know where to find out what the companies are looking for as far as experience or education is concerned.


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