Dear Workplace Sanity, I am a ‘career changer’ – from a purely technical field to a finance related one. I graduated in computer science, then did a technical engineering job for seven years, during which i also did my MBA (in finance). After seven years of technical experience i got a job at last in finance and have gained three years experience in it to date. At 33 years of age i am stuck with experience in multiple fields and my CV is a mess.
Kindly advise me about how i can boost my career in finance in order to be competitive. Also, should i delete my seven years’ technical experience from my CV, and start a new leaf with finance only? I would like to add that there is almost nothing from my technical experience that i can align and use in my finance field.
Career Split Dear Career Split,
According to research by the Center for Creative Leadership captured in their 70:20:10 model, the majority of your development – a whopping 70% – comes from on-the-job experience. Through most varied your experience the better. So get out there and gain some experience! Join project teams, accept new assignments, volunteer for work others avoid. In short, say ”Yes” to every LEARNING opportunity that comes your way. If none exist, then i say MAKE your own opportunities, especially in those areas you want to gain more experience in.
But don’t forget that in the 70:20:10 model, another 20% of your development comes for others. Identify someone whom you admire professionally and actively seek their feedback, mentoring and coaching.
In short, do not DELETE; rather, ADD experiences to your resume. Any experience is GOOD experience, especially when it builds your capabilities and ultimately your resume.
All the success! Workplace Sanity