5 smart career moves for finance professionals in 2024
If you’re a financial professional, you know that there are more ways than ever before to advance your career. So many, in fact, that you might not know where to begin.
As is so often the case, simplicity is the solution here. Rather than taking a year (or more) off to go back to school and level up your degree, a relatively small number of straightforward improvements could pay big dividends in the not too distant future.
What are those improvements? How is it possible to begin making them without overloading your already limited time and attention? Read on for the details on five moves to make this year.
1. Bulk up your digital footprint
Your digital footprint could use some work. That’s a guarantee.
Start with the stuff people see when they Google your name, since that’s the most visible. If you haven’t already, buy up “exact-match domains,” or web domains with close variations on [yourname].com. Target popular extensions like .co, .net, and .org (although that one can be pricier). If you have a common name, your exact-match domains might be taken, so personalize them with modifiers like “CFP” (if you’re a financial planner) or “vc” or, simply, “money.” (That has a nice ring to it.)
Don’t stop with exact-match domains. Invest in high-visibility third-party listings that you can at least partially control, such as Wikipedia, LinkedIn, and various business and professional directories. Creating profiles on these sites may create “knock-on” listings that further fortify your search results, like this Wikidata page for venture capitalist Steve Streit.
2. Invest in (legitimate) professional credentials
Don’t go all the way back to school, but do invest in sensible credentials that boost your job prospects and professional visibility. Think any of the “series” licenses you’ll need to perform various formal duties in the finance world, or financial planning certifications — which are relatively easy to get even if it’s not your core business.
3. Give back your time and talent
Next, volunteer, and make sure others know you’re doing it. For finance professionals, the ideal volunteer arrangements are “in-trade” — meaning you share your talents as well as your time. Depending on your skill set, you might volunteer at a credit counseling clinic, a social services office (where you help people understand basic concepts around credit and banking), or even at a free tax preparation service.
4. Follow your ethical compass
“Get out if it starts to get weird” is excellent advice for any financial professional. As you know, there’s a lot of funny business in this industry, and it’s easy to lose sight of what’s right and when you’re focused on career advancement only. In the long run, your career is better served by steering clear of ethically questionable activity that could blow up in your colleagues’ faces.
5. Take advantage of new opportunities, but be careful about job hopping
Last but not least, walk the line between job hopping and remaining loyal at all costs. Staying at the same job too long is, perversely, a reliable way to curtail your earning power and get passed over for promotions. But changing employers every year quickly brings diminishing returns because even in the finance industry, no one appreciates a mercenary.
What’s your next move?
If you’ve read this far, you’re more than likely ready to make your first move toward a more successful career in finance.
That first move might be investing in your digital presence. It could be attending a part-time MBA or financial licensing course. It may even involve a significant amount of volunteer time at your local community college, credit counseling clinic, or social services department.
Whatever you decide, don’t be afraid to commit to it. After all, as a finance professional, you know that investment decisions take time to prove out. Investing in yourself is no different.