Question

Topic: Career/Training

Hedge Fund Accountant Seeking Career Change

Posted by nicoledupuis92 on 7/7/2016 at 7:04 AM ET 125 Points
I have always been creative since I could even hold a pencil in my hand. I grew up around the arts and even got a scholarship to a renowned school. All the trouble started when I chickened out and chose business instead for a major. I had several internships that featured both marketing and accounting but fell into accounting/finance because "that's where the money is". After graduating and learning that I had absolutely no debt, I highly regret not following anything further with marketing/a more creative route. I graduated last year and immediately went from an accounting job at a law firm, to a temp fund accountant job at a big bank, to my current job of 5 months making decent money 50k at a hedge fund administrator. I work about 60 hours a week leaving no time for family, friends, fun or expressing my creative side. How do I go from something so accounting bases back to a job in marketing? I do have a fine arts background with photoshop experience as well as social media management I do sometimes as a freelancer as well as manage my own blog.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 7/7/2016 at 10:30 AM Accepted
    It's not really clear from your narrative that Marketing is the best place to apply your skills. Perhaps design or copywriting would be more suited to your skill set.

    Certainly design and copywriting are more aligned with Marketing than with Accounting, but Marketing per se has become largely a quantitative discipline, with sophisticated analytics driving most decisions -- at least when it comes to strategy.

    My suggestion: Make the time to conduct information interviews with 5 or 6 people who are doing what you think you might like to do. Ask them what they like and what they don't like about their jobs. Ask them about their wish lists and frustrations. Go into the interviews with an open mind, and really listen to what they have to say.

    My guess is that you will have a pretty good idea about where your next steps need to be when you finish those interviews. (Side tip: Take detailed notes during the interviews. You'll want to refer to those notes at the end of the process, and you'll forget how much rich information you captured.)
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 7/7/2016 at 7:33 PM Accepted
    Pick a nice and focus your efforts on it.
  • Posted by gintare.wolfs on 7/25/2016 at 5:35 AM Accepted
    It is something many people go through at some point of their life. I have done it myself 4 years ago (I used to be a recoveries manager) and now I work in Marketing. But at first you have to explore your options and make sure you choose something you are really passionate for.

    Here is another example. A lady who studied social work and then realised she wanted to do something creative. She is now a proud owner of her Infinity Brows Academy.

    I think almost everyone I know has had a career change, so I encourage you to follow your dreams!

  • Posted by Shelley Ryan on 7/27/2016 at 6:32 PM Moderator
    Hi Everyone,

    I am closing this question since there hasn't been much recent activity.

    Thanks for participating!

    Shelley
    MarketingProfs
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