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so right now i work in an operation based role at a top financial firm in the world
unfortunately there is NO upward mobility and, as there is a hiring freeze, there is no chance to move laterally either.
therefore, i am look outside of the firm.
trying to figure out the best path for me. one that will lead to a decent lifestyle but also a reasonable income level to help support myself and my future family.
i am angling towards corporate finance and would love some insight. what is the best way to make this kind of drastic move? right now my strategy is to network, hopefully land some "informational" interviews and make enough of an impression for someone to give me a chance.
is 29 years old too old? i almost feel like this ship has sailed as there are so many people younger than me, in more advanced positions that i'd never even be considered.
29 is too old???!!! I laughed at that one. No, the ship has not sailed. You're doing the right thing by networking and looking for other opportunities. It will happen. Just stay at your current job until you find another job.
Companies want people who can do a good job and add something to their bottom line. You also need to fit in with their culture. Advanced degrees are no guarantee of any of these. Sometimes people get lots of degrees because they never really want to get a real job, or worse, they can't hold a regular job becuase its too confining for them. School is fun!
Don't worry about them anyway. Keep the faith. Good luck!
is 29 years old too old? i almost feel like this ship has sailed as there are so many people younger than me, in more advanced positions that i'd never even be considered.
I can't speak specifically about corporate finance, but if this is true about many people younger than 29 in higher positions it's probably a safe bet that this career is not a good long term choice for anyone period.
29 is too old???!!! I laughed at that one. No, the ship has not sailed. You're doing the right thing by networking and looking for other opportunities. It will happen. Just stay at your current job until you find another job.
Companies want people who can do a good job and add something to their bottom line. You also need to fit in with their culture. Advanced degrees are no guarantee of any of these. Sometimes people get lots of degrees because they never really want to get a real job, or worse, they can't hold a regular job becuase its too confining for them. School is fun!
Don't worry about them anyway. Keep the faith. Good luck!
29 too old!! What!? Wow, how will you feel at 40? That’s really a head scratcher.
The fact that you put informational interview in quotes is bad. I don’t like the strategy of using informational interviews to land a job. You’re trying to fool someone? Bad move. If you request and get an informational interview but are really trying to get a job with them, that is deception and betrayal. Nobody likes that. Informational interviews are great, use them for what they are.
Aside from developing a higher level of integrity, your best bet to start in a corporate finance role is to apply with a financial firm. And you’re in luck because you currently work for one! Gosh, this is painful – dude, you work for a top finance firm, you want to get into finance, hmmm...what to do, what to do?
Ignore the internal hiring freeze. It’s not set in stone. Believe me, people are still hiring – there is just less of it and people are more careful. Let people know your interested, even if they can’t/won’t hire you know, it’ll be good for the future. Make sure you really are interested and have a good answer to the inevitable question of why you are. That’s the first thing I’d want to get a sense of. If you genuinely are interested, that’s important – in a good way.
I completely changed my career at age 30 and do pretty OK (I am 36).
What do you mean by "operations"? What is your education in?
The short answer to your question is yes. Just would like to hear a bit more about your background.
education = bachelors of science is business
my role = trade management. basically researching and fixing any trading errors, helping our clients navigate our proprietary systems, helping with QA and UAT testing of said systems, end-of-month P&L reporting, etc.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I work with our corporate finance people on a regular basis, and we have had 4 retirement in the last year or so as the boomers start to leave. Only one of the replacements was under 30, and she was a promotion from within. The others were all in their late 30's or early 40s. Part of the reason for that is the experience required. Not many people have 10 years experience at age 26, or even 30.
You need to go for what you feel is the best option, but be cautious and ensure any moves are well thought-out.
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