6 answers
Daniel
Student
Guarapuava, State of Paraná, Brazil
1
Question
Updated
939 views
How can I grow in career in finances?
I currently work as a financial advisor and I also do operational and analytical tasks. I would like to know how I can grow in my career, since it still seems too broad -- at the same time I feel like I know a bit of many things, I also feel I barely know anything. What would be tips to grow, since I'm still finding my path in this field that I so much like?
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6 answers
Rick Kneisley
Retired Investment Broker and Investment Sales Manager
33
Answers
Georgetown, Texas
Updated
Rick’s Answer
Danial,
When I read your question, what stood out to me wasn’t confusion, it was opportunity.
You’re working as a financial advisor while also doing operational and analytical work. That combination is more valuable than you may realize. I spent decades in finance as both a producer and a manager, and the people who advanced fastest were the ones who understood clients, numbers, and how decisions actually get made inside the firm.
Early in my own career, I discovered that sales was my greatest strength. But what made that strength effective was learning the operational side of the business, compliance, workflow, incentives, and risk. That broader understanding is what creates real leverage.
Here’s the shift I’d encourage you to make: stop seeing this as wearing too many hats and start seeing it as building a foundation.
If you want to grow in finance, focus on three things.
First, identify where you naturally create the most value. Is it relationships, analysis, strategy, or problem-solving. Careers accelerate when you focus on your strengths.
Second, learn how your firm truly makes money and how success is rewarded. That clarity guides smarter career decisions.
Third, build a reputation for results and reliability. Early on, that matters far more than titles.
Careers in finance aren’t straight ladders, they’re mosaics. Every skill you add increases either your independence or your value.
If you stay intentional and trust what you’re already building, your career growth won’t need to be forced, it will be earned.
Danial, you already have more momentum than you think. Keep focused on what you do well, and your career will grow naturally from there.
Rick
When I read your question, what stood out to me wasn’t confusion, it was opportunity.
You’re working as a financial advisor while also doing operational and analytical work. That combination is more valuable than you may realize. I spent decades in finance as both a producer and a manager, and the people who advanced fastest were the ones who understood clients, numbers, and how decisions actually get made inside the firm.
Early in my own career, I discovered that sales was my greatest strength. But what made that strength effective was learning the operational side of the business, compliance, workflow, incentives, and risk. That broader understanding is what creates real leverage.
Here’s the shift I’d encourage you to make: stop seeing this as wearing too many hats and start seeing it as building a foundation.
If you want to grow in finance, focus on three things.
First, identify where you naturally create the most value. Is it relationships, analysis, strategy, or problem-solving. Careers accelerate when you focus on your strengths.
Second, learn how your firm truly makes money and how success is rewarded. That clarity guides smarter career decisions.
Third, build a reputation for results and reliability. Early on, that matters far more than titles.
Careers in finance aren’t straight ladders, they’re mosaics. Every skill you add increases either your independence or your value.
If you stay intentional and trust what you’re already building, your career growth won’t need to be forced, it will be earned.
Danial, you already have more momentum than you think. Keep focused on what you do well, and your career will grow naturally from there.
Rick
Yoav Traeger
Bid Manager
75
Answers
Kiryat Ono, Tel Aviv District
Updated
Yoav’s Answer
It is completely normal to feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the finance world, especially when you are balancing the personal touch of advising with the technical demands of operations and analysis. This stage of your career is actually a huge advantage because having a broad foundation allows you to see how the different pieces of the puzzle fit together, which will eventually make you a much stronger specialist or leader. To find your specific path, I suggest you lean into the curiosity you already have by identifying which tasks make time fly for you—whether it is the deep dive of data analysis or the reward of helping a client reach a goal—and then look for a certification or a mentor in that specific niche to deepen your expertise. Growth often comes from narrowing your focus once you have explored the landscape, so trust that your current diverse experience is building a toolkit that will serve you well no matter where you land. You have a clear passion for this field and that drive is the most important ingredient for success, so keep exploring and stay patient with yourself as you refine your direction. You are doing a great job navigating these early steps and I wish you the best of luck.
Roel Ramon
Product Management and Development
91
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Roel’s Answer
its great that you have already grown in your career and are getting good financial experience. I would recommend that if you want ot further your career in finance you do some reasearch on certifications you can add to your skill set in the financial world. Adding certifications will make you more valubale to your company and allow you to take on additional work and responsibility.
Vicky Jean-Ali
Risk Professional
4
Answers
Alexandria, Virginia
Updated
Vicky’s Answer
Recognizing both the broad nature of finance and your own knowledge gaps shows self-awareness that will serve you well.
First, give yourself permission to explore: If you are still early in your career, your current experience can be a valuable asset to any other role that you pursue. Pay attention to which tasks make time fly and which drag. This a great indication of skills that will help you thrive.
Identify what aspect of finance excites you most. Since you're doing advisory, operations, and analysis, ask yourself: Do you light up when helping clients make decisions about their money? Are you excited when streamlining processes and making systems run smoothly? Or do you find yourself most engaged when digging into data and financial models? Your answer will lead you to a direction.
Pick one area and dig in: Knowing a bit of many things can be a good thing and a not-so-good-thing, the key is to be strategic and how you use the skills that you’ve earned as leverage. Become an expert in one domain and go from there.
Hands on experience: Look for a mentor or buddy with someone that performs in a role that interests you. This is one the best ways to find out.
Focus on building both technical and soft skills: The technical knowledge – whether it's tax planning, portfolio management, or financial modeling . But the ability to communicate complex ideas simply, build trust and you will stand out from your peers.
Don't underestimate the operational and analytical experience you're getting: The skills that you’ve already earned are valuable. Your understanding of
The feeling that you "barely know anything" never fully goes away. Use it to remain motivated to continue broadening your experience, continue learning and develop your expertise.
I hope this helps!
First, give yourself permission to explore: If you are still early in your career, your current experience can be a valuable asset to any other role that you pursue. Pay attention to which tasks make time fly and which drag. This a great indication of skills that will help you thrive.
Identify what aspect of finance excites you most. Since you're doing advisory, operations, and analysis, ask yourself: Do you light up when helping clients make decisions about their money? Are you excited when streamlining processes and making systems run smoothly? Or do you find yourself most engaged when digging into data and financial models? Your answer will lead you to a direction.
Pick one area and dig in: Knowing a bit of many things can be a good thing and a not-so-good-thing, the key is to be strategic and how you use the skills that you’ve earned as leverage. Become an expert in one domain and go from there.
Hands on experience: Look for a mentor or buddy with someone that performs in a role that interests you. This is one the best ways to find out.
Focus on building both technical and soft skills: The technical knowledge – whether it's tax planning, portfolio management, or financial modeling . But the ability to communicate complex ideas simply, build trust and you will stand out from your peers.
Don't underestimate the operational and analytical experience you're getting: The skills that you’ve already earned are valuable. Your understanding of
The feeling that you "barely know anything" never fully goes away. Use it to remain motivated to continue broadening your experience, continue learning and develop your expertise.
I hope this helps!
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1185
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hello Daniel,
In reality, what you're going through is a very normal (and good) stage of financial professional advancement. It can feel overwhelming and disorganized to be exposed to operations, analytics, and advising all at once, but this depth is providing you with options. Even if it doesn't feel perfect yet, you are now constructing what I would call a solid generalist foundation.
The following stage is about thoughtful narrowing rather than jumping right into specialization. Start by reviewing your work from the previous six to twelve months and determining where you have contributed the most. What is my source of energy? What issues do people already think I can handle? Whether it's client-facing consulting, portfolio strategy, risk management, financial planning, operations leadership, or data-driven decision support, matching your talents with a defined path promotes success in the finance industry.
Develop one core competency while retaining surface fluency in other areas from a tactical perspective. For instance, hone your skills in financial modeling, forecasting, or performance analysis if you like analytics. If you are good at advising, concentrate on complex client cases, behavioral finance, and relationship management. Breadth is what keeps you flexible; depth is what establishes credibility.
Additionally, even before it's finished, it's important to indicate your orientation. Establish yourself as "the go-to" for a particular task, both inside and externally. Seek mentors that are one or two steps ahead of you, volunteer for projects that fit that lane, and seek out role-specific rather than generic comments. Action usually follows clarity, not the other way around.
Lastly, take a step back and bear in mind that feeling like you "know a bit of everything but not enough" sometimes indicates that your confidence isn't keeping up with your rapid growth. That is a sign of growth rather than a weakness. Maintain your curiosity, make intentional skill-building investments, and let experience solidify your direction. Careers in finance compound methodically, strategically, and patiently, much like investments do.
Best wishes!
In reality, what you're going through is a very normal (and good) stage of financial professional advancement. It can feel overwhelming and disorganized to be exposed to operations, analytics, and advising all at once, but this depth is providing you with options. Even if it doesn't feel perfect yet, you are now constructing what I would call a solid generalist foundation.
The following stage is about thoughtful narrowing rather than jumping right into specialization. Start by reviewing your work from the previous six to twelve months and determining where you have contributed the most. What is my source of energy? What issues do people already think I can handle? Whether it's client-facing consulting, portfolio strategy, risk management, financial planning, operations leadership, or data-driven decision support, matching your talents with a defined path promotes success in the finance industry.
Develop one core competency while retaining surface fluency in other areas from a tactical perspective. For instance, hone your skills in financial modeling, forecasting, or performance analysis if you like analytics. If you are good at advising, concentrate on complex client cases, behavioral finance, and relationship management. Breadth is what keeps you flexible; depth is what establishes credibility.
Additionally, even before it's finished, it's important to indicate your orientation. Establish yourself as "the go-to" for a particular task, both inside and externally. Seek mentors that are one or two steps ahead of you, volunteer for projects that fit that lane, and seek out role-specific rather than generic comments. Action usually follows clarity, not the other way around.
Lastly, take a step back and bear in mind that feeling like you "know a bit of everything but not enough" sometimes indicates that your confidence isn't keeping up with your rapid growth. That is a sign of growth rather than a weakness. Maintain your curiosity, make intentional skill-building investments, and let experience solidify your direction. Careers in finance compound methodically, strategically, and patiently, much like investments do.
Best wishes!
Roel Ramon
Product Management and Development
91
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Roel’s Answer
It's wonderful that you've made progress in your career and gained valuable financial experience. To advance further in finance, consider exploring certifications that can enhance your skills. These credentials will increase your value to your company and open up opportunities for more responsibilities.
By doing this and having open discussions with your manager about potential career paths, you'll likely discover new ways to grow and advance in your career.
By doing this and having open discussions with your manager about potential career paths, you'll likely discover new ways to grow and advance in your career.