🚀 The AI Workflow That's Saving Me Hours Every Week
Hi everyone, I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with AI, and by that I don't just mean asking ChatGPT to draw a cartoon picture of your boss, your girlfriend, or some politician—which, as many of you know, it can do remarkably well! 🤓 I've been tinkering with computers and programming since the early 1980s, when the first home computers and XT PCs running DOS started appearing. Like many of you, I've witnessed everything from the pre-dial-up era through to the birth and evolution of the internet. Fast forward to today, and much of my Microsoft Outlook workflow is automated using custom VBA code. The system generates personalised email replies based on specific job opportunities and the companies offering them. Those emails can also trigger a custom HTA script that extracts an applicant's first name and WhatsApp number from either the email itself or an attached CV. It then inserts a predefined (and slightly randomised) WhatsApp message, ready to be sent through WhatsApp Web. It took a couple of weeks of tweaking to get everything working reliably—particularly recognising different subject lines and responding appropriately—but the time savings have been enormous. In simple terms, when someone applies for a role, I click a custom button I've added to my Outlook ribbon. The system quickly identifies which company the opportunity belongs to, generates the correct personalised response from a template, reveals the company details, and even attaches a company PDF if one is available. At the same time, a small pop-up form appears with the candidate's details already populated. Press Enter, and the WhatsApp message is ready to send. All of that happens in about three seconds. For me, it eliminates a huge amount of repetitive administration—copying and pasting, creating contacts, reopening CVs to find phone numbers, and so on. It also helps ensure that prospective trainees and newer candidates receive timely responses rather than ending up on a "to-do later" list. What used to take 10 minutes per application can now take two minutes or less. I enjoy working with AI-assisted tools such as Cursor, VS Code, Devin, GitHub Copilot, Claude, and a few others. Here's another simple example: See the blue email banner above? I simply asked my AI assistant to look at some of my previous banners, reuse elements such as the coffee mug, desk pad, and laptop concepts, and incorporate the same style of gradient imagery that appears on my new website header. Now, I've been working with Adobe products—and before that, Macromedia's design and media software—since forever. I can code, design, edit, and build things myself. But wow... it is incredibly nice to simply tell an AI agent to freshen up parts of a website, or create other elements and let it get to work. How? In short, I download a backup copy of my entire website to my PC, give my AI agent access to the project folder, explain what I'd like improved, and let it go. I can then test everything locally and, if I'm happy with the results, upload a few updated files to the server that transform the site. No manually hard-coding every change. I my case it's a bit like moving from being Luke Skywalker to being George Lucas or James Cameron—you become the director rather than the person doing every individual task. The cost on my end: $0.00. Well, apart from my time and a bit of fine-tuning afterwards— this is exactly my kind of price.
AI isn't about a bunch of robots giving financial advice. I don't care how advanced, modern, or "intelligent" AI becomes—nothing will replace genuine human relationships and the one-on-one client experience. Yes, AI can help generate advice reports, Reasons Why letters, and remove many administrative tasks that firms might otherwise hire assistants to perform. But the people side of the business will always remain a people business. Working smarter doesn't mean reinventing what it means to be an IFA. It means becoming more efficient and productive. For some advisers, that means having capacity to do more business. For others, it means working fewer hours while maintaining the same income. Either way, AI is simply another tool—one that, when used properly, can help you spend more time doing the things that actually matter. Well, that's a bit of a different angle for those who care to know how some things can improve your IFA life.
Well, that's it for this Thursday folks. If you have a friend or colleague who might be considering options, please forward this message along to them, it might be JUST what they need to see. Have a great rest of the week and hear from you again soon. Best regards, |
Daniel van Niekerk
Welcome to Prestige IFA Jobs, the premier international wealth management recruitment service. Since our establishment in 2016, we have earned a reputation as the go-to choice for discerning international wealth management and investment advisory firms around the world. At Prestige IFA Jobs, we redefine the art of headhunting in our industry. We stand unrivaled, leading the way with our unique approach and unmatched expertise. No one does what we do quite like us. Our commitment goes beyond simply matching a qualified candidate with a good IFA firm. We believe in finding the perfect synergy between candidate and company. With our extensive background in personal financial advisory across multiple countries, we take the time to deeply understand our candidates and our clients. So, when things go wrong, don't go wrong with them...because the successful warrior is the average man, but with laser focus.
