Daniel Jansen came to Australia from the Netherlands for a holiday, but stayed to build a career
After working for several years in the financial services industry, Daniel Jansen decided it was time for a break. Jansen said he came to Australia initially as a backpacker.
“I had worked in finance for about six years already, and I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do. I decided to go to Australia, and I ended up in Melbourne where I met an international student,” he said.
“It took a couple of months before I finally convinced her to go on a date with me, but once I got her I never let her go again.”
Jansen said he and his partner decided to settle in Australia. She continued with her studies, while Jansen milked cows and worked as a removalist while trying to find a job in the finance industry. But Jansen said finding a job in his field proved difficult.
“I decided I wanted to keep going in the finance world, but my Dutch qualifications didn’t really count here in Australia. I had to find an employer who was happy for me to be on a one-year visa, so no bank wanted to hire me,” Jansen said.
But Jansen said he found a financial services firm willing to take a chance on him.
“I knew I had to start at the bottom and thankfully, Full Circle Financial Group was looking for my kind of person and I decided to apply for a Financial Strategist position, while getting my paperwork done here in Australia,” he said.
So Jansen began his work at Full Circle while simultaneously getting his qualifications as a mortgage broker. In July 2012, Jansen acquired the qualifications he needed.
“Full Circle said, ‘You can start here meeting with clients, showing them how to invest, showing them how negative gearing works’. They let me work on the paperwork I needed, and once I got it all in place I started broking,” he said.
The move wasn’t Jansen’s first foray into mortgage broking, he indicated.
“I had done mortgage broking as well in the Netherlands as a financial adviser for ING. I really liked it.”
While seeking his broking qualifications, Jansen said he learned other important skills from his work at Full Circle.
“The first year I worked at Full Circle, I got a feel for how property investment worked and how the property market worked in Australia.”
Now that he’s obtained his broker qualifications, Jansen said he wants to continue to expand his skillset. With this in mind, he said he’s seeking further education.
“I’m about to start a Bachelor’s in economics. I’m proud that I can continue to improve myself and the level of services I can give.”
Jansen praised the team at Full Circle, and said the company stood apart from other mortgage brokerages in the full suite of services it provided to clients.
“It’s probably the total package and high level of service we provide. We take clients by the hand and put them on the path of a 15- to 20-year strategy of how to be wealthy. We do accounting, mortgage broking, property investment, shares and managed funds. We’re aiming to give better service than the client expects.”
And as a broker, Jansen said he enjoys being part of delivering this high level of service.
“Being a mortgage broker is a very nice part of it because I can assist in helping clients create wealth for themselves, their kids and their families.”
