Recent Graduate Lands Role as Advisor Analyst

 

When Joseph Heck graduated from the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson, his first full-time job as an advisor analyst with Redwood Investment Management in Scottsdale, Ariz., was waiting. He describes the role, which differs from that of a traditional financial planner, as “unique in the industry.”

Heck works with financial advisors and planners at registered investment advisers (RIAs) and investment firms, providing investment strategies for them to use with clients. “Redwood has its own RiskFirst® mutual funds, ETFs and a Private Real Estate Debt fund that can help build portfolios for financial advisors to present to clients based on the goal to manage the drawdown risk,” he says.

Heck learned about Redwood at a university career fair and knew someone who works there. The CFP Board Registered Program in Personal and Family Financial Planning (PFFP) at UA helped prepare him for the role, he says. “My job is to know everything about a financial planner, a financial advisor, including the software they use, their investment strategies and how they provide value to their clients.”

Although he doesn’t currently plan to be a financial planner, Heck wants to earn his CFP® certification but first must take the Series 7 and 63 exams for his job.

Journey From Student to Career

At UA, Heck majored in business management with a minor in PFFP. When he first heard about it, he immediately recognized this program of study was a perfect fit — it would equip him with the knowledge and practical skills to manage his own finances and advise others on investments.

Of the PFFP program, Heck says, “They did a really good job at getting internship opportunities for students and providing workshops.”

He also credits one of his teachers: “My professor, Andrew Waldum, was the most influential in this industry to help me and many other students go from learning about the industry and what a CFP® professional does to actually getting in the industry.”

While a student, Heck completed an internship at Vanguard in Scottsdale. There, advisors and CFP® professionals mentored him, and he learned how they worked with mass-affluent and high-net-worth clients.

Financial Advising Runs in the Family

Heck has had a strong interest in finance since he was young, inspired by his dad, a financial advisor.

“I watched him help other people with their finances, and I thought that was really cool,” Heck says. “You can make an impact on someone’s life by planning out how they get to retirement, set their investments based on short-term and long-term goals, set up for their children’s education and do all this in the most tax-efficient ways.”

What does the future hold? Heck says he really likes Redwood, which is a relatively small firm with great culture and many opportunities to work your way up.