Is Financial Planning the Right Career for You?

Take this quiz to help you find out:

1. How comfortable are you with making sales?

A. I could sell my grandmother a ticket to a SuperNova concert with no guarantee that she'll enjoy the performance.

B. I could sell my grandmother that SuperNova ticket, but I would feel guilty if she didn't like the show.

C. Only a bad person would sell his or her grandmother a SuperNova ticket.

2. At what stage of life are you?

A. I just graduated from college.

B. I've been out of school for a few years.

C. I've been in my line of work for several years, but I'm ready for a change.

3. How much of an extrovert are you?

A. I have been the president of nearly every club I have ever joined.

B. I have enough friends to make me happy.

C. A good book, a room to myself and no interruptions is my idea of heaven.

4. You could be described as:

A. both analytically and a good communicator.

B. analytically, but not a good communicator, or a good communicator, but not analytically.

C. neither analytically, nor a good communicator.

5. At work, I prefer to do my job:

A. completely independently

B. somewhat independently.

C. as part of a team.

6. What appeals most to me about becoming a planner is:

A. the challenge of building a client base.

B. the creation of my own business.

C. the analysis of investments.

7. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual income for financial planners was $64,750 in 2010 - this includes commission income. How do you feel about that?

A. I've never been average and I'll earn more than the median.

B. That would work for me.

C. Working for commissions only makes me nervous

Results

If you answered mostly "As", then financial planning could be the right career for you. You're energized, not terrified, by the idea of earning a substantial amount of your compensation through commissions. If you have the right connections and the energy level to work that network, you could succeed in this tough career.

If you answered mostly Bs, then you need a back-up plan. Financial planning might work, but you're likely to end up among the 80% of planners who, according to William F. Cole's "The Complete Financial Advisor," is in the business for less than five years. When sales don't work out, what will you do next and how will you sell yourself to your next employer?

If you answered mostly Cs, don't even think about financial planning. If you love the portfolio analysis side, consider working as a financial analyst. If math is your strong subject, go into financial engineering or quantitative analysis. You'll make more money without having to sell all day long.