Career Changers

Changing careers doesn’t have to be a daunting proposition. With the support of a quality organization, it can be an easy transition.

Many attorneys, bankers, accountants, educators, and military personnel have two things in common … they enjoy helping people and have transitioned into successful careers as financial representatives with Northwestern Mutual.

A career as a financial representative can give you the independence you are looking for, while having the extensive resources of Northwestern Mutual available to you.

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What's it like to start a career with Northwestern Mutual?

Watch "A Day in the Life of a Career Changer"

Ever wonder what its like to take the leap to try a new career? Gather some insights from this in-depth look into the life of three new Northwestern Mutual financial representatives with very different career backgrounds. Find out what they do on a daily basis, why they changed jobs, and what they enjoy about this career.

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Meet Our Career Changers

John Alcantara
Financial Representative

John Alcantara grew up in Northern California and moved to Las Vegas when he was in high school. After graduating, John went into the Marine Corps where he served a total of eight years, both active duty and active reserve, where he was awarded the Naval ROTC Scholarship. During his time in the reserves he studied at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas until getting called back into the Marine Corps for operation Noble Eagle in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and weeks later would be deployed into Kuwait and Iraq for the initial invasion in 2003. John received numerous awards during his service, and his unit was awarded the coveted Presidential Unit Citation by President George W. Bush, the highest award given to units during combat.

After the war, John went into the real estate and finance industry and worked in commercial real estate on multi-million dollar transactions for several years before opening his own real estate and finance business with a fellow former Marine. In 2008, the financial meltdown hit real estate investors hard and John was forced to reevaluate his position in life and his career.

Through an old friend, John was given a chance at Northwestern Mutual's Las Vegas office and has reestablished himself as a respected professional in what he considers to be his final home and calling place - Northwestern Mutual. He is now in his third year with the firm and has brought his former business partner and other friends into the business.

Suneel Garg, MBA
Financial Advisor

Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual in Los Angeles, Suneel was the COO/CFO of ChemTrans, a Los Angeles-based hazardous materials trucking company where he was in charge of all business and financial operations.  This included overseeing the acquisition of a competitor, as well as managing staff/employees and growing the business during tough market times.  Prior to ChemTrans, Suneel worked with Ernst & Young for several years as an auditor before going to business school. 

Suneel  has a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Southern California and his M.B.A. from the Darden School at the University of Virginia.

Suneel’s career path has taken him from a client-centric world to running and having full responsibility for the growth and profitability of a business that was in need of new strategy and direction.  Suneel earned his MBA in order to work in the forward-thinking strategy world of a business.  After successfully growing a company over 600% in revenue and profitability in six years, he decided to take his entrepreneurial spirit and join Northwestern Mutual as a financial advisor.

It was the right (and difficult) decision to leave ChemTrans  for several reasons, but the main one for Suneel was that it took him full circle back to a client-centric world, which he realized he relished and thrived in. He loves educating and helping people think big, and showing them multiple ways to accomplish their goals that they otherwise may not have known. Suneel likes having them look to him as their advisor and enjoys giving them advice, which is customized for their goals/needs and changes over time as they change and grow.  The opportunity to be paid based on his hard work appealed to his entrepreneurial spirit and it was a risk that he was glad he took several years ago and hasn’t looked back since.

When Suneel thinks about the value he brings to people, he can confidently say that he works with successful individuals and businesses on their investment and insurance needs. He does this by taking a personal and consultative approach for each and every client by helping them coordinate their financial goals with their resources and in finding products and solutions that meet their ever-changing needs.