In our Professional Paraplanner Parameters Survey, we asked paraplanners how they challenge themselves in their role and it appears that there are lots of different ways to actively boost professional development.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, many respondents cited taking part in exams and advancing their technical knowledge with continuous learning as key ways to push themselves.
One respondent told Professional Paraplanner they developed their learning through webinars, seminars and making the most of the training available.
A desire to take on new challenges, no matter how complex, was clear from the results of the survey, with paraplanners agreeing that volunteering for more challenging tasks and involving themselves with more difficult client cases outside of their comfort zone was instrumental to learning.
One paraplanner said: “I take on tasks that I may sometimes be uncertain and unfamiliar with. This helps me learn and grow in knowledge beyond what is necessary.”
Another said: “I actively volunteer to get involved in projects that I am uncomfortable with in terms of my own ability / skill set.”
For some paraplanners, training team members can be a useful way of challenging themselves.
One commented: “I take on different things that may be outside of my comfort zone and pass on my knowledge and experience to other members of the team.”
The results of the survey also showed that setting daily, weekly and monthly targets was helpful in enabling paraplanners to complete their tasks and take on other, more complex projects. For example, one paraplanner said that every morning they set themselves daily expectations of tasks they would like to have completed that day as a minimum, before moving on to extra tasks. Another set themselves a target of three meetings a week to ensure a “consistent” workload, while a fellow respondent said they operate a “clear desk policy” which challenges them to get through their daily emails every day.
In a heavily-regulated industry, the survey also showed that a desire to keep pace with regulatory changes and industry views was important to paraplanners.
One respondent told Professional Paraplanner: “I do additional reading on subjects that I don’t cover that often to make sure I am thorough in my reports. I also volunteer to do any ad hoc project work and I keep in contact with BDMs who help with ad hoc queries and provide useful industry updates and budget summaries.”
Interestingly, one paraplanner said their focus was upon developing new revenue streams for the business. For example, the firm has specialist divorce and personal injury teams, which the paraplanner lends technical support to.
For others, a focus on the “bigger picture” can act as a motivating force. Imagining their family, life and goals encourages them to push themselves to be the best they can be.
However, some paraplanners admitted that in a busy office there is not much free time to focus on self-development.
“It’s not really necessary as the variety of work received can be a challenge in itself,” one respondent added.
