Name: Mike McCann
Job Title/Employer: President & Founder, Perspective Financial Services, LLC
Year of Graduation: 1991
Degree/Major: Finance
 
What is your favorite part of your current job?
Developing long-term relationships with my clients and being a part of their lives through the years. Seeing my clients being able to start that dream business, or transition into retirement, or send their children to college with confidence as a result of our working together.
 
What career path did you follow from your ASU degree to your present job?
I started out as a financial planner for IDS (now Ameriprise Financial). This involved selling investment and insurance products on a commission basis. I moved on to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. where I worked in both their retail and institutional services in a variety of positions including equities trader, operations manager and investment consultant. Having learned a lot about the fee-only registered investment advisor model, I opened my own business in 2003.

Describe one skill learned at ASU that you use daily in your job.
Understanding cash flow and the effects of compounding interest and time value of money is critical to my success. Not simply for the fact of preparing financial planning documents, but more importantly to communicate the importance of making good decisions with the client while you are discussing it. In many cases, you can make a preliminary assessment of a situation during the conversation and can share your initial thoughts before moving forward.

Were any ASU-affiliated persons helpful to you in advancing your career?
I landed my first job out of school, IDS, through the career services recruitment process. Subsequently, I have hired many current and graduating students in my current and prior position through ASU career services, as well as participating in class as a guest speaker. Working in Phoenix, I’m always interacting with other ASU alums and it makes for an easy icebreaker when establishing rapport.

What advice would you give to current students or job-seekers about finding work in your field?
Begin with the long-term goal in mind, and be willing to make short-term sacrifices in order to learn the field. Use caution when considering a sales-oriented position. The recruiters will often paint a better picture than reality.

Pick up the phone and call a few ASU alums that are in the field. Tell them you are a student looking for advice and ask if they would mind scheduling 20-30 minutes to share some of their experiences. Most will be flattered and take the time. Ask their advice on how someone like you might get started in that field. You will be surprised how eager they will be to help with advice and possibly introductions to hiring firms.

Finally, investigate the various avenues of financial planning and investment management and really gain an understanding of the direction you want to take. This includes brokerage firms, insurance agencies, registered investment advisors, and accounting firms. Understand how each of these types of businesses operates, how a client might perceive them, and how you see yourself fitting with the client and the organization.