5 Career Hacks for Ambitious Finance Professionals

A career in the financial industry can be financially lucrative and personally rewarding. However, getting established in your career often requires years of very hard work and no small bit of luck. Many aspiring financial pros get discouraged and switch careers before realizing their full potential here.

If you’d prefer not to meet that fate, you must find ways to separate yourself from your peers early in your career while laying a sound framework for a prosperous future. Start with these five tactics.

1. Be Willing to Make Bold Moves Early in Your Career

Fortune favors the bold. Especially in the financial industry. The more risk you take early in your career, the better your chances of standing out from your more risk-averse peers.

Whether that means using a job in Europe as a career springboard, or staying closer to home and taking on messy assignments no one else wants, or something else — that’s up to you. The important thing is that you think outside the box, starting now.

2. Get an MBA Sooner Rather Than Later

In the past, many successful financial professionals never bothered to get MBA degrees. Unfortunately for those who dislike school, this “undergrad only” approach is less and less common today. 

It’s not as big of a lift as it sounds. You can complete an MBA in your spare time while working in a career-track job, often in just two years and possibly on your employer’s dime. The payoff is pretty sweet: An MBA can boost your income by at least $20,000 per year, according to the College of William & Mary.

3. Level Up Your Professional Certifications

You might not need an MBA if you’re in a field where clients or regulators prefer or require other types of professional certifications, such as securities licenses or CFP badges. Earning these credentials does take time and hard work, however, so you do plan to keep most of your evenings and weekends free as you progress toward them.

4. Attend Industry Conferences As Often As You Can (On Your Own Dime If You Have To)

Many employers provide even junior employees with annual professional development stipends. However, financial industry conferences are notoriously expensive, and if you’re also working toward an MBA or other credentials, your employer’s money might not go far enough. Be prepared to pay out of pocket for the right opportunity.

5. Play Nice, But Always Advocate for Yourself

“Becoming a self-advocate does not happen overnight; it takes time, effort, and practice,” says Kylie Moore, a disability advocate. “To be a strong self-advocate, you must take time to learn different things about yourself and try to identify goals for your future.”

These words couldn’t ring true for up-and-coming finance professionals. The ability to publicize your achievements without stepping on your peers’ toes is a true career art, one that takes skill and dedication to develop. Yet it’s important enough to prioritize above other “hard” skills that your employer may take a greater interest in developing on your behalf.

Ready to Make Your Move

No matter how ambitious you are, you should expect years to pass before you’re truly comfortable in your finance career. In the meantime, you can look forward to countless hours of hard work, lots of little (and not so little) setbacks, and plenty of late nights.

All the more reason to begin today. Give yourself a head start on your peers by taking bold risks at the earliest stages of your career, acquiring degrees and certifications that may increase your earning power, and networking with colleagues and mentors while advocating tirelessly for your own interests.