Taylor Turgeon ’20

Taylor Turgeon headshotTaylor is an operations specialist at Gitterman Wealth Management, a small firm based in Edison, New Jersey. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as a personal banker at a local bank in her home state of Maine, and as a financial representative intern at Northwestern Mutual in New Hampshire. Her passion for financial planning began when she joined Beta Alpha Psi, a professional fraternity for finance and accounting majors. Her volunteer work with the organization included Junior Achievement and presenting financial literacy concepts to high school students in the area. She graduated magna cum laude from Elon University with a bachelor’s in finance. She holds her FINRA Series 7, 66, and Life & Health Insurance licenses.

A typical day at work: Every day is different! It all depends on our what our clients need. I try to structure my day so that the first half is spent responding to emails from the night before, and scheduling/preparing annual review meetings for our team’s existing clients. I also like to catch up on the news in the morning. Then the rest of the day is either spent in meetings, prepping presentations for prospective clients, or catching up on random tasks.

Steps to success I’ve taken: My favorite quote is “Chance favors the prepared mind.” I can contribute a lot of my success to luck, but I wouldn’t have been so lucky if I hadn’t been open and ready for the opportunities I was presented with. I made sure to take my classes seriously, got involved with professional organizations, and attended all the career events Elon hosted. With a lot of hard work, and a little bit of serendipity, I was able to land my current job.

Most rewarding and most challenging aspects of my job: The most rewarding thing is hearing how much of an impact you’ve made on your clients’ lives. In some cases, you’re the only person your client trusts with the information they give you. You’re like an extension of their family. To have their confidence and appreciation is so fulfilling. The most challenging aspects include talking with clients who think they have all the answers (spoiler: none of us do), and managing compulsive behavior when it comes to market volatility.

A hurdle I’ve faced in my career: The biggest hurdle I’ve faced is starting a career during a pandemic. I started remotely (which we’re still doing as of right now), and it was really lonely, especially since I was the only new hire that summer. I oftentimes didn’t know what I was supposed to be working on, and I was really struggling with imposter syndrome. Eventually, I started to get into a routine and I made an effort to get to know some of my colleagues better, which helped me to realize that I wasn’t alone in how I was feeling.

Skills I’ve found essential to my job: Intuition, intentional listening skills, and effective communication. If you can predict what people need before they need it, you will always be able to provide value. And never underestimate the power of conversation. Get people talking, and then really listen to them. Be sure to pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues. Then be able to tell them how you can help in a non-judgmental and non-condescending way. Soft skills are just as essential, if not MORE essential, than hard skills in a client-facing career.

Advice for students: The BIGGEST advice I can give to college students right now is to read and watch the news. Turn on CNBC when getting ready in the morning and just listen to the conversations. You don’t have to understand everything they’re saying, but just getting used to hearing financial jargon will help tremendously in preparing for working in the financial services industry.

My thoughts on the future of my industry: With the rise of retail investing, I see the industry rising with it. More and more individuals today are looking for ways to get the most out of their money, yet most are unsure of how and where to start. That’s where we come in. And because we can provide much more value than just sticking money in an investment account, having a comprehensive financial planner will always be important and relevant.