I’ve been working as a secretary and a Personal Assistant to a boss for 8 years. And I want to work in finances. My boss perceives me just as a PA and there are no options for me to develop in my company.
I have 2 Master’s degrees - the first one is Marketing and the second one is Economics & Management. I’ve taken Level I and now waiting for the results.
Can you please recommend me what steps are better to take in my situation to find work in finances?
Just don’t know where and how to start, as I’ve always underestimated myself working on this position. I’ll appreciate your advice very much. Thank you.
Thank you. The thing is, I don’t have an experience in finances and don’t know how to get started and what position could be sensible and appropriate in this case.
I know many 27-28 year olds that moved into IB with not much experience. However, they did have some finance experience. You experience shortfall may be a problem. However - you may be able to get an interview for a junior position. Try get a financial analyst job - it is super weird that you stayed as PA for so long with a masters in Economics and CFA lvl 1.
However - if you can have a good story about why you did not get a job sooner and you prep really hard for the interview. You may be given a chance. You type of story and CV would not stack that well against other financial candidates. However - go onto e-financial careers and submit a very finance tainted CV there - try remove as much of your PA work as you can. Even apply for an intership somewhere? This will help with experience. I would recommend the best path into a analyst role is networking (due to your CV probably not being selected above other finance CVs) Network through linkedIN (Coffees etc) and try and target 1000 people to meet/ job applications. Someone should bite.
For you it would be a numbers game and hope someone takes a chance. Apply for an intership/low paying finance jobs as soon as possible as well. You need to get out of being a PA. Or throw an ultimatum to your boss. Say you resign if they don’t give you finance responsibility.
What type finance are you interested in? Corporate finance, personal finance, securities analysis, investment banking, insurance & risk management, commercial banking, venture capital, small business, big business, international trade, teaching?
First, you have to narrow down your choices. Review job postings for those areas and see what types of credentials and experience they are looking for. Then start earning those credentials and getting that type of experience. Second, since you are 1/3 of the way through the CFA, you need to get a job in finance. You can become a para-planner with a salary or become a financial advisor or financial planner with commissions. I recommend para-planner because it gives you time to focus on your career in finance,\ not on selling. Make sure you spend 50% or more of your time in the investment decision making process. I’m a financial planner that owns my RIA/Insurance Agency. I was approved for CFAI membership last month based on 4 years as a financial advisor/planner and 4 years prior as an originator/analyst in lev-fin.
The main obstacle is that you’re “just a PA”, and have been for 8 years. People will assume low quality based on this. You should first rebrand yourself as some kind of “business manager” or something that sounds more impressive. And then, start by asking all your direct company contacts when a position opens. Chance of success is probably 15%.
I’d try to find consulting work via one of the websites like upwork. You won’t make much money but you can spin it as experience and it’ll help tell a different story
Seconding (or maybe thirding) this. Take what you did as a PA and put in a different spin. For example, instead of saying “booked meetings” say something like “managed event planning and scheduling for x number of people…”. Suddenly you’ve got words like “event planning” and “scheduling” and “managing” in there.
It’s like how DB and CS can trade an OTC derivative with one another, put it in their accounting at “proprietary” valuations, and both of them record a trading gain. Creating value from nowhere!