Turning my passion for finance into a successful career
Tate Steinlage has served the last decade in various advertising agency roles, leading social efforts for some of the largest brands in the world. But in recent years, Tate has developed a passion for financial services, acquiring his life and health insurance licenses, the SIE, and the Series 7.
I’ve been pursuing a passion for financial services for two years now, turning to Achievable to help me prepare for the toughest challenge yet: FINRA Series 7.
Researching the exam and various vendor experiences, I was worried I’d invest tens of hours focusing on the wrong material. Thankfully, from the moment I launched the Achievable Series 7 experience, I knew I was on the right path.
Achievable does a tremendous job explaining the content in a way anyone can understand, without dumbing it down beyond what you need to know for FINRA’s exam. The structure, including the study plan, is helpful, with both written and video content digestible, whether you’re sitting down for an hour study session or an entire day.
How to fit studying into a busy schedule
For me, I work in marketing, with workweeks ranging from 40 hours to 60 and beyond. Achievable fit into my busy schedule with ease; the mobile experience, especially, made ad hoc learning opportunities a breeze. For anyone in a similar position with a full-time job outside the industry, know that the chapters are set up to work for you.
I would spend 1-3 hours on weeknights reading through the material and taking practice exams. In my first pass through the digital textbook, I took exhaustive notes; the next go-around, I purely read and absorbed. What followed was more than 20 practice Series 7 tests, which exposed me to a wide range of topics and question styles. The review component of these practices was critical - I particularly appreciated how Achievable would create mini quizzes based on questions I got wrong multiple times.
Turning knowledge into results on test day
After more than 100 hours on the platform, I felt confident walking into my testing center. I took the tips Achievable offered along with a mindset that the hay was in the barn - I had put in the work - and three-plus hours later, I walked out with a PASS.
I’m now onto the Series 66 and will be returning to Achievable without a doubt. Whether this is your chosen career or a pivot, you CAN do this; trust the process and your gut. Also, burnout is real, so make sure to work in days away from the material. Cheers!
