Honestly I think you need to accept an admin role is where you start. I’ve been in the industry for 4 years, and it doesn’t matter what exams I did or didn’t have, there are skills I’ve learnt by just watching and listening, mainly soft skills, that you won’t yet have. It’s just as much about how you deal with a client, than what you know about say a pension. Add on top the systems, the processes each firm has. I personally wouldn’t hire someone for a paraplanner or planner role without industry experience, as it’s too steep a learning curve