Rising Tide Blog

Early last year, the team here at Rising Tide Financial Services welcomed our newest intern, Steph Coutts. A bright, young Melbourne University student, Steph was studying a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Finance and Management and was eager to gain some firsthand experience in the world of financial services.

As the daughter of current Rising Tide clients, Steph had come to know Senior Financial Planner and Director Matt Hale and Lending Specialist Tom DeFegely through their consultations with her parents and developed a keen interest in the work of Rising Tide.

“My mum and dad had been clients of the business for a few years, and in fact they still are today. Due to conflicting schedules, every so often Matt and Tom would come out to our house to go over all of their planning,” says Steph.

“From what I had learned at uni, I already had a pretty clear idea that this was the field I wanted to work in, but being able to sit in on meetings like this and see how the team at Rising Tide handled things really confirmed my decision.”

A short while later, Steph began interning for one or two days a week while she completed her studies.

“Completing an internship at Rising Tide was a great opportunity and one I would definitely recommend to others. A lot of what we learn at uni is the more theoretical side of things, but there’s actually a lot more to this kind of work. An internship will give you a bit more a taste of what you can expect before you actually go out into the world and start your career,” says Steph.

To the Rising Tide directors, it quickly became clear that Steph was a fast learner and full of promise. After making such a strong impression during her internship, Steph was later invited to take on a full-time role as Client Services Manager, which she commenced at the beginning of this year.

“Being able to land a full-time role in my field of choice was really exciting. I’m still learning the ropes, but my ultimate goal is to become a financial planner, so it’s a great opportunity to learn and to get out and meet clients. It’s a great place to work and everyone in the office is really friendly and easy to get along with,” says Steph.

“Another one of things I enjoy most about working at Rising Tide is the fact that many of our clients tend to be a bit younger and in somewhat of a similar financial situation as myself; whether they’re looking to buy their first home or get started with their first real financial plan. Being around the same age and at the same stage in life, I think it makes the whole process quite relatable and that’s something which clients seem to respond really well to.”

Throughout her time a Rising Tide so far, Steph has continued to kick goal after goal. We think she’s well on her way to becoming a highly successful financial planner and we’re delighted to have her on board.

Keep up the awesome work Steph!

To find out more about how the Rising Tide team can help you reach your personal financial goals, give us a call today on 03 370 330 287.