Matt Hoeft

I've been working in trust services for just over two years.

I was promoted to my current position from an internship for military veterans.

As part of my internship, I conducted informational interviews with key leaders in my line of business.

One of those leaders is a senior executive I'll call "Bill." Bill is a military veteran and law school graduate managing some of my firm's largest client relationships.

These are the 3 simple pieces of advice Bill gave me to advance my career, and I recommend them to anyone just getting started:

Advice #1: Read Broadly

This tip shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. Successful clients come from varying backgrounds, and you never know what topic or insight might resonate with someone. Reading widely expands your conversational range, allowing you to connect easily with more people.

Advice #2: Master Your Public Speaking Skills

Despite practicing law before pivoting to financial services, Bill confided that his reputation as a skilled presenter was crafted after his law career and a product of "Devoting a season of my life to mastering that one skill, like learning an instrument." Bill insists that anyone can become a compelling communicator if they devote themselves to the craft.

Advice #3: Earn the CFA Charter

I might have put this tip at the top of the list. Bill emphasized that while being well-read and persuasive are powerful multipliers, earning the CFA Charter is the single best thing you can do to advance your career as a fiduciary investment manager. You can learn more about the CFA program here: https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/programs/cfa/charter

I'm grateful someone shared these 3 things with me early in my career.

I'm glad I can pass them along to you.

What advice were you given that made a difference in your early career?

There are a lot of books about self-education.

And I've read several of them.

But the best book on self-education I've found is 'The Education of a Wandering Man' by Louis L'Amour.

For a few reasons:

• Reason #1: It will inspire you to read broadly. The author often read whatever materials were available on his travels and recounts how he found something valuable in every text.

• Reason #2: The author encourages us to approach learning as a lifelong adventure.

• Reason #3: The book reframes our perspective on reading from being a chore to being a gift. If you can read this post, you can learn just about anything.

• Reason #4: L'Amour defies the 'bookworm' stereotype and permits us to do the same. His life experiences were as varied as his studying.

• Reason #5: The author's life story demonstrates that we can and should assume full ownership of our individual growth.

If you are at all interested in self-directed learning, I can't recommend this book enough.

(And if you've read it, do you agree? What other book would you recommend for beginners?)