How to get a job as a debt advisor

[Fleetheart]

Can anyone help please? I’m currently working as a marketing manager and have realised that I really am bored with simply flogging stuff to people . Have been doing it for nearly 30 years now so I know what I’m doing, but have lost my mojo!
This lockdown has made me realise I can’t bear to go back to it. I’d love to work as a debt advisor; helping people to sort out their money. I like talking to people and am a fixer by nature. But I don’t have any experience here. Can anyone help me please, how can I get into this?

I guess there are two routes - charitable sector (various debt charities out there who have debt advisors) / CAB,
advising individuals on debt options.

Or into the insolvency profession, working either for The Insolvency Service or for an Insolvency Practitioner specialising in personal insolvency if it is individuals you want to help particularly.

I once worked for a company that set payments ( after consultation) for debtors to clear their outstanding accounts for places such as big retail shops . It was awful , people crying on the phone , saying how they couldn’t pay , they had a relationship breakdown , circumstances had changed etc
I do believe some were trying it on , but some of the stories are truly heart breaking .I left after 5 months without another job to go to .
You need to be pretty robust to deal with it ,
But in answer to your question why not ask at your local cab office , maybe do it on a sat to see how you feel about it first

If you want to help people then go for charity sector/CAB/Stepchange type places. That's where you'd be giving people debt counselling, talking through options etc etc. They offer a free service for their customers.

Insolvency practitioner/insolvency Service is not about giving debt advice, it's dealing with the aftermath of a formal insolvency. It's all driven by the money, fees, there's no human interest element. Not that it's not enjoyable fulfilling etc, but it's not a profession you join because you want to help people with their debts (I say this from experience!)

There are also a few companies who are out to make money from other people's misery by charging them for informal debt plans. Personally I wouldn't touch them wish a barge pole - again you won't be helping people but more likely you'd be encouraged to take advantage of vulnerable people by selling them a plan which isn't paying their debts off because they deduct fees from the payments.

I am a welfare benefits advisor for a national charity (not CAB but work closely with them).Charity sector sounds more what you are looking for. We have debt advisors. We often have people volunteering who want to go on and get a job in the sector. That may be a good way in. Good luck, it is very rewarding (and also very sad sometimes) and very peolle focused.

Thank you everyone; yes I definitely want to be on the side of the people; but not in a woolly way; in a proper constructive way where I could take on some of the organisations who are trying it on etc. @Bythepath, thank you. Are you able to say who you work for? I had a look at step change- they seem to be based in Leeds and I am SE. Am wondering if there is similar down here...

I have sent you a message. Good luck