Gone are the day when you queue for long hours to send or receive money at the bank. Currently, almost every bank has gone digital. With the use of a smartphone or laptop, you can save, send, receive, and invest money wherever you are. This is all possible due to Fintech (financial technology).
Fintech has seen astronomical growth and development in recent years thanks to technological advancement. Just as the Saw.com domain appraisal tool makes it easier to appraise your domain, the Fintech industry continues to come up with apps and software, among others, to make activities in the financial service sector easier. The upgrade of existing technologies and emerging ones are also improving activities in the sector. To a greater degree, this has reduced the manual and other traditional ways of doing things in financial services.
That aside, emerging techs like blockchain, AI, and machine learning are also making waves in the financial sector. With new business models coming up, career opportunities in the Fintech industry are also increasing. Therefore, this piece will guide anyone seeking to start a Fintech career.
Fintech career opportunities
There are numerous career opportunities in the Fintech space as the industry keeps growing and expanding. With the needed qualifications and skills, here are some potential career paths.
Fintech Entrepreneur
Instead of looking for a job after school, you can choose to become a Fintech entrepreneur. You identify challenges in the financial service sector and develop products to solve them. You can even start by identifying the flaws in existing techs and come up with solutions through upgrades or new product development.
Product Manager
Like any other field of work, a product manager plays an integral role in product development and rollout. You need to be proactive, responsive, and innovative to succeed as a product manager in the Fintech industry.
Business Developer
As more and more Fintech businesses crop up to meet the demands of financial services, the need for business developers will also increase. As a business developer, your duties include helping the business build its brand, attract the necessary public and corporate recognition, propose new business ideas, and review current business trends, among others.
Data analyst
Data analysis has become a big deal in this digital age of doing business. As more financial companies automate and enroll on digital platforms, data analysis becomes crucial to assess how well clients adapt to changes. As a data analyst, you will review available data of customers, know their needs, and how such needs can be addressed using the data.
Developers
Software and app developers play an integral role in the Fintech space, and their services are the backbone. After coming up with a solution to a financial service problem, it will take an app or software developer to write a program, test, debug and maintain apps. So as a software engineer, you can join the Fintech industry by coming up with various applications that will make financial transactions easier.
How to start a Fintech career
Like any other profession, starting a Fintech career requires the acquisition of necessary knowledge and skills in the industry. This means you should undertake career-based courses or probably be a developer. Skills acquisition and development that evoke innovations are prerequisites in the tech industry. Therefore, enrolling in an accredited institution that offers certified courses in this area is important. You can search online on institutions that offer Fintech courses and choose from available options. You can also pursue such courses online through Udemy, Coursera, and Edx. You also need qualities like creativity, problem-solving mentality, discipline, adaptability, and a team player to be successful in this industry.
Securing your first Fintech job
After obtaining the necessary knowledge and developing your skills through internships and other training jobs/workshops, your next step would be to secure a job.
Before hitting the job market, you should know the current trend in the industry. This helps you build yourself to the standard and puts you ahead of other job seekers. As you strive to secure your first job, you should:
Know where you want to start from
Even at college, it is very okay to envisage where you would want to work. Would you want to start your fintech career with an established company or with a startup? Such decisions don’t always materialize; however, they prepare you for the job market as you work to meet the company’s employee criteria, standards, qualities, and qualifications. Note that the choice you make can define your prospects. Also, each choice presents different challenges and opportunities.
Talk to industry players
It is critical to always seek the views and direction of industry players before choosing a Fintech career path. Even before enrolling in a course, be abreast with the career opportunities in that area. The network you build will go a long way to help you in your job seek. After school, you can rely on some of your contacts in the industry for help or recommendations.
Only apply for jobs that match your area of expertise
No employer would want to put a square peg in a round hole in this competitive industry. Fintech is broad with various aspects and career paths, and since it is a knowledge and skill-based industry, you should only apply for positions you are qualified for. This will save you time and that of the recruiter while saving you from embarrassment during job interviews.
Have a strong CV
Your CV speaks for you in your absence and must therefore be rich and detailed. You wouldn’t be there to answer questions during CV sorting and review, so make sure to add whatever information that can enhance your chances of getting hired. Your educational background, qualification, work experience, etc., must all be included in a professional way. You can get help from a professional CV writer to help you.
Take home
Despite the Fintech industry being full of opportunities as it keeps expanding, you should seek expert advice, if possible, before undertaking related courses. You should always look at the most demanding areas to enhance your chances of getting hired after your studies.
