Do you know women considering a career in home loans? There are several reasons why it’s the ideal choice.
There are few more significant choices we make in life than what career path to take.
Job satisfaction, remuneration and work-life balance are just a few factors taken into consideration when making this decision.
The feedback we’re getting at MPA is that the mortgage industry is particularly good at providing flexibility and work-life balance. Moreover, these opportunities seem to be especially appealing to women.
Indeed, earlier in the year Australian Broker reported that RAMS had seen an increase in the number of women joining its franchise network.
There are several reasons why women are more enthusiastic than ever about the mortgage industry.
Mortgage franchises save time
Karen Bruce is principal of RAMS Home Loan Centre Adelaide West. Prior to joining RAMS, Bruce had a business which she built from the ground up. However, she found the work required in setting the business up and maintaining it extremely time-consuming, particularly without the established people, products, systems and support.
“It’s nice to have all those things looked after: the IT, the marketing, the merchandise. When a settlement happens you can have your gift basket automatically sent to your customer,” she says.
“In the old days I would run around and get my own gift baskets, buying champagne, chocolates, wrapping them up and delivering them myself.”
Work in your own environment
As somebody with three children and a husband who works away from home during the week, it’s fantastic to be there to provide full care and commitment when the kids are not well, says Bruce.
“One year between them they had about 30 sick days and they get about 15 weeks of school holidays. I know lots of women who struggle with school holidays and sick days,” she says.
Bruce also points out that the benefits for families are just as good for the men in the industry.
“So, in reverse, their wives can have full-time careers because there is someone at home managing all the other needs, such as the family, the children and the pets,” she says.
“Life is multi-dimensional and it’s really hard to be all things to all people.”
Earn a good income
The opportunities to earn a good remuneration in the industry are excellent, says Bruce.
“Once you start building the business, you have got an income and you’ve got an asset, so it’s a double factor,” she says.
“It’s not just what you earn at the end of the year, it’s actually building that trail book and having an asset to sell at the end of it.”
Set your own hours
Another beauty of the industry is it allows you to control the hours you work, says Bruce.
She structures her day by setting hours between 9am and 10pm. In amongst those hours she does school drop-offs, pick-ups, and supports her children’s extra-curricular activities.
“You manage your own diary, your own timeframe and take time off when you need to. It’s the flexibility of having a seven hour workday and being able to do it over 15 hours,” she says.
Echoing Bruce’s opinions, Marissa Schulze of Rise High Solutions agrees that the industry has its benefits for family and enjoys the ability to work when she wants to.
“I was a senior relationship manager at Westpac in commercial banking before I left to have my first child,” she says.
“And then I basically decided that I couldn’t really return to that if I ever wanted to see her. So that’s what led me into broking.”
Schulze says she has gotten a lot more confident with telling clients that she can only work specific hours.
“I guess when you build your client base you do get the confidence to be a little more selective with the hours you’re going to work and the times that you’re going to meet clients,” she adds.
Schulze won AMA’s 2013 Young Gun of the Year (Independent).
Related:
Tipping the balance: How to stop work taking over your life
Jeremy Fisher: I had the worst work-life balance
Do you think the mortgage industry provides good career opportunities for women? Share your thoughts below.
Job satisfaction, remuneration and work-life balance are just a few factors taken into consideration when making this decision.
The feedback we’re getting at MPA is that the mortgage industry is particularly good at providing flexibility and work-life balance. Moreover, these opportunities seem to be especially appealing to women.
Indeed, earlier in the year Australian Broker reported that RAMS had seen an increase in the number of women joining its franchise network.
There are several reasons why women are more enthusiastic than ever about the mortgage industry.
Mortgage franchises save time
Karen Bruce is principal of RAMS Home Loan Centre Adelaide West. Prior to joining RAMS, Bruce had a business which she built from the ground up. However, she found the work required in setting the business up and maintaining it extremely time-consuming, particularly without the established people, products, systems and support.
“It’s nice to have all those things looked after: the IT, the marketing, the merchandise. When a settlement happens you can have your gift basket automatically sent to your customer,” she says.
“In the old days I would run around and get my own gift baskets, buying champagne, chocolates, wrapping them up and delivering them myself.”
Work in your own environment
As somebody with three children and a husband who works away from home during the week, it’s fantastic to be there to provide full care and commitment when the kids are not well, says Bruce.
“One year between them they had about 30 sick days and they get about 15 weeks of school holidays. I know lots of women who struggle with school holidays and sick days,” she says.
Bruce also points out that the benefits for families are just as good for the men in the industry.
“So, in reverse, their wives can have full-time careers because there is someone at home managing all the other needs, such as the family, the children and the pets,” she says.
“Life is multi-dimensional and it’s really hard to be all things to all people.”
Earn a good income
The opportunities to earn a good remuneration in the industry are excellent, says Bruce.
“Once you start building the business, you have got an income and you’ve got an asset, so it’s a double factor,” she says.
“It’s not just what you earn at the end of the year, it’s actually building that trail book and having an asset to sell at the end of it.”
Set your own hours
Another beauty of the industry is it allows you to control the hours you work, says Bruce.
She structures her day by setting hours between 9am and 10pm. In amongst those hours she does school drop-offs, pick-ups, and supports her children’s extra-curricular activities.
“You manage your own diary, your own timeframe and take time off when you need to. It’s the flexibility of having a seven hour workday and being able to do it over 15 hours,” she says.
Echoing Bruce’s opinions, Marissa Schulze of Rise High Solutions agrees that the industry has its benefits for family and enjoys the ability to work when she wants to.
“I was a senior relationship manager at Westpac in commercial banking before I left to have my first child,” she says.
“And then I basically decided that I couldn’t really return to that if I ever wanted to see her. So that’s what led me into broking.”
Schulze says she has gotten a lot more confident with telling clients that she can only work specific hours.
“I guess when you build your client base you do get the confidence to be a little more selective with the hours you’re going to work and the times that you’re going to meet clients,” she adds.
Schulze won AMA’s 2013 Young Gun of the Year (Independent).
Related:
Tipping the balance: How to stop work taking over your life
Jeremy Fisher: I had the worst work-life balance
Do you think the mortgage industry provides good career opportunities for women? Share your thoughts below.
