I used to enjoy my job in finance until I did not. I liked finding meanings in numbers and abstract concept, until one day I stopped seeing connections. Looking back, I realized my most enjoyable experiences have always been related to creating something that has a longer impact, like setting up the structure of a database that supports the whole engagement, or creating automations for a business process. However I struggle to find an area that’s more of a creative nature in the field of finance. Most of the finance jobs I know relate to investing, providing expertise to client, operations and/or sales. Pardon me that I don’t see “value creation” as my kind of creation, but nothing more than “making or saving more money”. I guess I am more of a “product” person? Anyways I see a misfit between my personality and the field of finance. But I’m not so confidence in my assessment, as a lot of my friends who were discontent with their first finance jobs were able to settle with jobs they like better after changing fields a few times. I wanted to do the same, but I was and still am very pessimistic about finding a field within finance where I see a future. Maybe not everyone is fit to do finance, even if he is intelligent, likes abstraction, appreciates the high income and doesn’t hate numbers? I can still do the work. I just couldn’t care less. I see no future. Or a future that will be soon plateaued due to lack of proactivity and motivation. Anybody with similar sentiments? Any advice?
Look into financial management I believe these people create applications for business to use But I was in a similar position. I could do it audit but I wasn’t gaining anything out of it either I was a database developer at my university and I loved creating databases and automating hr business process and so I’ve been looking into more technical data analyst roles and have a few interviews lined up and I’m going to take that and then hopefully become a data engineer a few years after
Thanks for the advice. I’m actually thinking about the same. Just I don’t have any background in cs and will have a lot to learn if I want to switch field. Recently I did some projects within my company on automating business processes and implementing new digital solutions. I truly enjoyed the technology aspect of it, which gave me a ray of hope. However the cs skills I learnt from those projects are very minimal and the work is mostly about understanding the accounting/finance services and less about cs, and I'm dealing with the same group of accounting/finance minded people which I respect but rarely relate to. I felt so weighed down by being in a new "tech" role but doing things not so different from before. So I start to look to GTFO, have a fresh start and leave the world of accounting/finance forever behind.
Same deal. I’m interviewing for PhDs now. If that means an 80% pay cut for a few years, so be it.
Thanks for the echo. I feel I have been trying very hard to rationalize why I come to the situation that I almost biologically can’t tolerate finance. Then the concept of product oriented vs service oriented came to mind. Still actions speak louder than any theory. Congrats on finding your exit and wish you all the luck!
Preach!!!
@Op lots of people go through that. This is going to sound like a cliche’ but...To thine own self be true. Dude your mind is trying to engineer an outcome, and it will. If you’re demotivated then your manager will eventually notice. I think it’s best to get in front of that. For example if you have tech skills (even if you’re rusty): start chatting up some techies at Deloitte, you guys have a lot of them. Try to take an internal job if you can swing it. But if you go external while it may be easier don’t shoot for the moon until you’ve built your skills back up. Or split the difference and get a management gig inside or outside Deloitte. You sound like you’d be a great hire fir a ton if companies. Reason: you have both tech and finance skills. Anyway good luck!
Haha issue is my tech skills is less than rusty... but thx for the kind words and well wishes
TC?
There’s different sides to finance, I’ve been on your end and now in payments, it’s the same data and engineering concepts but on a different usage. It’s a bit more rewarding , to me at least. I had the same sentiments as you prior about value creation.
In the same place buddy. Worked in trading because I wanted to be in markets and liked the numbers and curves, then I realized I actually really enjoyed making shit for the desks. It's like giving superpowers to users. Moved into tech at the bank, but it's extremely unfulfilling because the bank just doesn't have that product mindset that you'd find at startups or tech companies. I'm trying to make the jump now, but it's just hard because banks have the stigma that you're lazy and not a hustler. Keep at it though, chase your interests, money ain't worth it in the long run. You can make a decent living building things for sure.
Same here. Trying to pivot to tech after 11+ years in banking. Not easy.
Maybe try Product or Business role in FinTech companies - Betterment, TradeWeb, Nerdwallet, etc. If you focus on investing/ asset management, instead of payment technology, you can still use your finance knowledge but do more "product" work that you enjoy.
I'm in a similar spot. I've also seen a bunch of really good people (ie. smart, hard-working, good at their job) come into this realization. I'd suggest spending time really thinking about what matters to you and what you want to do in your career. Talk to people with jobs you admire. Start with friends and mentors, then branch out to 2nd degree connections. You'll see that you're gravitating towards roles / industries that interest you the most. Hope that's helpful.
You like money but don’t want to be around it? Dude, you need a good shrink
Haha maybe the money is not enough for me to overlook the fact that I don’t find the work fulfilling
Finance is a broad field. Some parts of it I don’t want to deal with.