 
By Helen Thompson
Scott J. Sernett knows a thing or two about the importance of education in a financial services career. After all, he was in college at the University of Northern Iowa when he was tapped for Northwestern Mutual’s college internship program.
The marketing degree he earned wasn’t quite enough, though. While he availed himself of the many continuing education opportunities available to him through his company, he also decided to earn the CLU and ChFC designations.
Credibility with convenience
Sernett chose to pursue his designations for two reasons. Northwestern Mutual was a tremendous proponent of the programs, for one, and many of his mentors had gone through them and recommended them highly. But it was more than a rite of passage for him. His young, fresh face was almost a liability when he was in his early 20s. “Building a clientele is a challenging thing when you're first starting out,” says Sernett, who works in Waterloo, Iowa.
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| Sernett credits the designation programs with increasing his credibility, boosting his confidence and improving his visibility.
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Sernett took the classes on his own through a self-study mechanism that allowed him to work at his own pace. He earned his CLU designation in 2001 and his ChFC in 2004. He expects to earn his CFP next, sometime in the next couple of years. “I haven't looked at the LUTC program, but we get a lot of that kind of training from our company,” he adds.
That’s exactly why the LUTCF and FSS designations were created, however, according to David F. Woods, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, NAIFA CEO and LIFE president. “A lot of companies have stopped that in-house training, and independent agents don’t have access to it at all,” Woods says “These curricula, which we offer in partnership with The American College, are a great way for agents to improve their basic insurance knowledge and sales skills.”
Across-the-board benefits
Now 30, Sernett is still young, but thriving in his 10th year with Northwestern Mutual. His focus is helping business owners and physician specialists with their risk management and wealth accumulation needs, and he works with a team that handles their employee benefits needs. A Million Dollar Round Table qualifier, he’s active with the national Young Advisors Team and with his local, NAIFA-Cedar Valley (Iowa).
Sernett credits the designation programs with increasing his credibility, boosting his confidence and improving his visibility. “Being able to see case scenarios and putting them to use in my own client situations has certainly been helpful for my own confidence,” he says. “It's also helpful on your business card. For people who know what [designations] are, it’s impressive. Other advisors recognize that you’ve earned them.”
And clients recognize them, too, he notes. For the public, designations are a mark that shows you’re committed to your work. “Before I got my CLU,” he says, “I was a young kid making recommendations.”
For more information on how NAIFA can help you earn your designation, send an email to memberbenefits@naifa.org.
MARCH 2006
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