Financial advice may not have been Esha Mehra’s original career plan, but it has become a profession in which she has already achieved a great deal.
After beginning her career as an administrator in 2023, Esha progressed through paraplanning and into advising. She has achieved outstanding exam results, including a score of 100% in R04, and is now building trusted, long-term relationships with clients as a Financial Planner.
Her journey also reflects the importance of representation within financial services. As one of The Openwork Partnership’s youngest advisers, Esha is helping to challenge perceptions of what a financial adviser looks like. She is also working with her colleague Tracey to create an event series designed to help more women feel comfortable discussing their finances and connecting financial wellbeing with personal wellbeing.
For young women who may never have considered financial advice as a career, Esha’s story demonstrates the opportunities available and the difference a new generation of advisers can make.
Discovering an unexpected career
Like many young people, Esha didn’t leave school with a clear career plan. Financial services wasn’t an industry she had previously considered, and her first choice took her in a completely different direction.
“In all honesty, a career in financial advice was never something I’d considered when I was younger. At university, I struggled to decide what to study and ended up doing a foundation degree in Fine Art because it was what I most enjoyed at the time.”
However, Esha quickly recognised that turning something she enjoyed as a hobby into full-time work wasn’t right for her.
“I quickly realised in my first year that it was definitely not the path for me, and it ruined what I enjoyed as a hobby by making it my full-time work.”
Her introduction to financial advice came from closer to home than she expected.
“My twin brother always knew he wanted to become a mortgage adviser straight after school. After seeing how much he enjoyed the job during that first year, I was influenced to give it a go myself.”
Esha spent some time in an office that summer, exploring both mortgage and wealth advice. The experience gave her an insight into a profession she hadn’t previously known much about, and she quickly recognised that wealth advice suited her.
“I spent a few days in the office that summer trying out mortgages and wealth, and found that wealth was the route for me. I loved how much variety there was in the role and how no two cases were the same.”
That variety remains one of the biggest attractions of a career in financial advice. Every client has different circumstances, priorities and ambitions, meaning advisers must be able to listen, understand and create a plan tailored to the individual.
For Esha, it presented an opportunity to build a career centred not only on technical knowledge, but also on relationships and problem-solving.
Building experience from the ground up
Esha began her career in an administrative role before developing her technical experience as a paraplanner and progressing towards advice.
“I’m very grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had along my journey so far. I started in 2023 as an administrator and, towards the end of the year, my dad’s friend asked if I could help him with administration part-time as well.”
Her determination to learn meant she took on experience across several practices.
“Over the next two years, I worked full-time as an administrator and paraplanner at Leam FS, as well as part-time at four other Openwork practices.”
Balancing those responsibilities involved long hours, but the breadth of experience gave Esha exposure to different client situations and helped her develop a strong understanding of the advice process.
“It was incredibly long hours, but the amount of experience I gained during that time is ultimately what helped me achieve my exam results, including 100% in R04.”
Her journey highlights the value of progressing through support roles before becoming an adviser. Working in administration and paraplanning allowed Esha to understand what happens throughout the client journey, develop her technical knowledge and see how advice can affect people’s lives.
It also gave her the opportunity to build relationships with clients before taking responsibility for advising them.
Turning practical experience into exam success
Esha has already received recognition for her exam performance more than once, but she attributes that success to a combination of personal determination, practical experience and support from the people around her.
“I think it’s been a combination of a great work culture, the support from the Business School and my previous experience as a paraplanner.”
The team at Leam FS played an important role in helping her balance the demands of work and study.
“At Leam FS, I’ve had a really supportive team around me who have helped manage my workload, giving me the time to properly focus on studying.”
Structured learning through the Business School also helped make professional qualifications feel more achievable.
“The Business School has also been invaluable, providing a clear structure, great content and ongoing support that has made the exams much more manageable.”
Crucially, Esha was able to connect what she was learning with the situations she had already encountered at work.
“My experience as a paraplanner has given me a strong foundation too, as I’ve been able to link the exam content back to real client cases I’ve worked on, which has helped me understand and remember it much more easily.”
Her experience shows that becoming a Financial Planner isn’t simply about passing exams. Technical qualifications are important, but practical knowledge, client relationships and the ability to apply learning in real situations are equally valuable.
Turning age into an advantage
Entering a client-facing profession at a young age can feel daunting. Before becoming an adviser, Esha was concerned that clients might question her experience or struggle to take her seriously.
“Before becoming an adviser, my biggest concern was that clients wouldn’t take me seriously because of my age. However, what’s surprised me most is that this hasn’t been the case at all.”
Building credibility early in her career required confidence as well as technical knowledge.
Rather than viewing her age as a disadvantage, Esha helps clients understand how it could support a lasting adviser-client relationship.
“I explain to clients that I’m likely to be there to support them throughout their retirement journey, potentially for the next 30 to 35 years. Rather than having to move from adviser to adviser, they can build a long-term relationship with one adviser.”
That continuity can be reassuring for clients. It means working with someone who understands their circumstances, remembers the decisions they have made and can support them as their needs evolve.
“I’ve found that my clients really value that continuity, and my age then quickly becomes a benefit rather than a concern.”
Esha’s experience challenges the assumption that credibility must come from age alone. Knowledge, preparation, trust and the ability to communicate clearly can be just as important.
Her visibility also matters. By succeeding as a young female Financial Planner, Esha is helping other women see that financial advice is a career they can enter, progress within and shape for the future.
Creating opportunities for more women
Esha’s ambitions extend beyond her own progression.
Together with her colleague Tracey, she is planning an event series for female clients. The aim is to create a welcoming environment in which women can discuss their finances, ask questions and feel more confident about the decisions ahead.
“My colleague Tracey and I are also planning an exciting event series for female clients, as we all know there is a drastic gap between the number of males versus females in the UK who currently access financial advice.”
The concept recognises that conversations about money can feel overwhelming, particularly for people who have not previously engaged with financial advice.
Rather than beginning with complicated terminology or financial products, Esha and Tracey want to make the experience more approachable.
“We want to make it an opportunity for them to have a ‘financial de-stress’ and connect financial wellbeing with personal wellbeing.”
The event series is a strong example of women supporting women in practice: identifying a barrier, creating a space for open conversations and helping more women build confidence in their financial futures.
It also illustrates the wider influence a financial adviser can have. Advisers don’t only respond when clients approach them for help; they can find new ways to reach people who may not otherwise believe advice is for them.
Why the profession needs the next generation
Esha is unequivocal when asked what she would say to other young people considering a career in financial services.
“Do it! It’s a brilliant career with huge opportunities for young people.”
Her advice is to gain practical experience and spend time learning how strong client relationships are formed.
“My biggest piece of advice would be to spend time building relationships with clients as an administrator or paraplanner before becoming an adviser. That experience was invaluable for me.”
Because Esha had already worked with clients before progressing into advice, the transition felt more natural.
“By the time I started conducting clients’ annual reviews, they already knew me and began to trust me, so the transition felt seamless.”
That familiarity also helped reassure clients that they wouldn’t need to begin their relationship with the practice again from the start.
“It gave clients confidence and reassurance that their new adviser already understood their circumstances, goals and investments.”
For young women in particular, Esha’s progression offers an example of what a career in advice can look like. There isn’t one prescribed route, and someone doesn’t need to have studied finance at university or known from an early age that they wanted to become an adviser.
People can enter the profession through administration, paraplanning, graduate opportunities or other supporting roles, developing their confidence and qualifications as their careers progress.
Helping clients see what is possible
For Esha, the most rewarding part of financial advice is seeing the change in clients as they move from uncertainty to confidence.
“Retirement can feel so daunting and overwhelming for clients, with so many important decisions to make.”
Advice can help people understand their options, organise their priorities and feel more in control of their future. For Esha, seeing that emotional transformation is what makes the work worthwhile.
“By the time we reach our final meeting, seeing the relief and excitement on clients’ faces as they realise they can achieve their objectives is a feeling that will never get old.”
It is also why encouraging more women to engage with advice is so important to her. Financial confidence can affect far more than someone’s financial position; it can shape their sense of independence, security and overall wellbeing.
Supported by The Openwork Partnership
Esha credits The Openwork Partnership with playing a significant role in her development.
“The Openwork Partnership has played a huge part in my development and progression so far.”
Through the Business School Academy, she has been able to access structured training, learning content and continued support as she has moved forward in her career.
“The Business School Academy has provided me with excellent training, content and ongoing support, which has given me the knowledge and confidence to develop in my role.”
The availability and approachability of the trainers have been particularly valuable.
“The trainers have always been approachable and willing to support me, and having access to that level of support has made a real difference. I can confidently say that without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Thank you!”
For someone entering financial services at a young age, having that combination of formal training, practical experience and encouragement can make a substantial difference. It gives aspiring advisers a clear development route while ensuring they don’t have to navigate their progression alone.
Looking ahead
Although Esha has already achieved excellent exam results, she remains ambitious about continuing her professional development.
“Exams-wise, I’d love to do my Level 7 CFP qualification next while I have the time available, and then I can say I’m all done with exams.”
While continuing her professional development is important, her focus remains on building her advisory career.
Yet Esha’s definition of success is not based on qualifications or job titles alone. It comes back to the people she helps and the confidence she can give them.
“Success, to me, is making a positive difference in my clients’ lives by helping them achieve their financial objectives and providing them with reassurance and confidence in their financial planning.”
Esha’s story shows what is possible when opportunity, hard work and the right support come together. From an unexpected introduction to financial services to becoming a Financial Planner, achieving exceptional exam results and creating new ways for women to engage with advice, she is helping to shape a more representative future for the profession.
For young women wondering whether financial advice could be the right career for them, Esha’s message is refreshingly straightforward:
“Do it!”