Having the right attributes for successful social interaction is the key skill for those entering the Financial Planning profession to have, according to 70% of Personal Financial Society members surveyed in June.

A quarter of 290 Financial Planners said technical knowledge was the most vital quality for those looking for a career as a Financial Planner or paraplanner.

Computer literacy was most important to 3% of the Financial Planners surveyed with 4% listing literacy was the most important skill for those entering the profession.

Sarah Lord, president of the Personal Finance Society, said: “Personal skills are an important attribute whatever role you undertake in our profession to work well with both colleagues and clients, but they are particularly important for the role of the Financial Planner.

“The combination of strong technical knowledge and great personal skills are a powerful combination when working with clients.

“It is human nature for clients to want to work with individuals who are knowledgeable but the key is being able to translate the knowledge acquired through qualifications and “on the job” learning into an easy, understandable form for clients.

“Computer literacy is becoming a more important skill to have due to the increasing use of technology in the client journey but, in my mind, it will never be more important than having the technical skills to build the financial plan or the personal skills to build strong and sustainable client relationships.”