LAPS member Kieran Bywater has been talking about his transition from football to financial advice with St James’s Place. Here’s his story….
My name is Kieran Bywater, I used to be a professional footballer at a premier league club until my release in 2015. I then turned to the United States to begin studying for a business degree whilst continuing to play in the hope of returning to professional football. However, I was dealt a huge blow when I couldn’t continue with my degree so at the end of 2018 I was left with no degree and no career whilst having to return to the UK.
How I found out about St. James’s Place Academy
I was first introduced to Simon Andrews of St. James’s Place (SJP) when returning to the UK and trying to find a path in which I could take back control of my own destiny. It was explained to me how I could change my path by entering the world of financial advice & wealth management via the St. James’s Place Academy. I spent some time over Christmas break to decide whether this career path was for me but interestingly the more people I spoke to people about the opportunity with the Academy the more it became clear it was the perfect fit for me.
Transferrable Skills
The realisation I had lots of the relevant skills which could prove essential whilst going through the Academy and to become a financial advisor soon became clear to me, sas I moved through the selection process. Resilience, commitment, dedication, sacrifice and the ability to communicate were all skills I had required through my career in football and through the adversities I had previously faced both on and off the field. To be able to have the Academy support to help me transfer these skills to benefit my career is unheard of in my other walks of life.
My time so far…
I can’t speak highly enough of the people I have met from within St. James’s Place, everybody has been genuine, supportive and dedicated in helping me succeed in my new career. I am enjoying the process and by taking everything 1 step a time, I believe this is the best environment to progress into a career in financial advice & wealth management.