You do not need experience. You need a sequence.

Almost nobody arrives in this job from inside the industry. The people who make it work are the ones who do a small number of things in the right order instead of a large number of things at random. The order matters more than the speed.

Decide whether you are hosted or independent first

Everything downstream depends on this. A host agency gives you accreditation, supplier relationships and errors and omissions cover on day one, and takes a share of commission for it. Going independent means applying for your own accreditation and building supplier relationships from nothing, which is slower and pays more per booking. Most new advisors should start hosted.

Register the business before you take a single inquiry

A business name, a bank account and the right insurance are a weekend of work and they are what turn this from a favor for friends into a business. Doing it after the first booking means unpicking a booking that was made in the wrong name.

Pick one thing to be good at

The advisors who struggle are the ones who will book anything for anyone. The ones who do well pick a lane, learn it properly, and become the obvious person to ask. It does not have to be glamorous. It has to be specific.

Expect the first booking to take weeks, not days

The first inquiry usually comes from somebody who already knows you. The first booking from a stranger takes longer. Plan for a quiet first month and it will not surprise you.