I’m about to graduate and currently looking at entry-level roles in IT and fintech. I enjoy both areas conceptually, but I honestly don’t know what any of it feels like 5 or 10 years in.
From your experience:
– When you hit the 10-year mark in your career, did anything shift?
– Did you ever feel stuck or like it was time to try something new?
– How did you handle switching directions—and how hard was it to re-enter interview processes?
I’m asking because even now, at the very beginning, I already feel the pressure to “pick the right track.” But I also keep hearing from people that most career paths are nonlinear anyway.
I’ve been using Interview Assistant or GPT Interview Coach to prepare for interviews. I’ve also collected some technical questions from the Interview Question Bank.
Not just practicing answers, but figuring out how to position my goals.
But tools aside, I feel like nothing replaces honest advice from those with more experience.
If you’ve been in the industry (especially IT or Fintech) for a while:
What would you tell someone who’s just starting out and is struggling to find their way?
Any stories or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.
Comments
Since you shitlords like to delete your posts, here’s an original copy of /u/CreditOk5063’s post (if available):
I’m about to graduate and currently looking at entry-level roles in IT and fintech. I enjoy both areas conceptually, but I honestly don’t know what any of it feels like 5 or 10 years in.
From your experience:
I’m asking because even now, at the very beginning, I already feel the pressure to “pick the right track.” But I also keep hearing from people that most career paths are nonlinear anyway.
I’ve been using Interview Assistant or GPT Interview Coach to prepare for interviews. I’ve also collected some technical questions from the Interview Question Bank.
Not just practicing answers, but figuring out how to position my goals.
But tools aside, I feel like nothing replaces honest advice from those with more experience.
If you’ve been in the industry (especially IT or Fintech) for a while:
What would you tell someone who’s just starting out and is struggling to find their way?
Any stories or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.
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At ten years in, I stopped putting things on my resume that I didn’t want to do.
Also make sure you have 10 years of experience and not one year of experience ten times
I’m not working in Tech, so this might or might not be relatable
>When you hit the 10-year mark in your career, did anything shift?
Depends on the company size & industry, you might be in a junior-mid managerial/leadership position. I was a manager (and still am).
>Did you ever feel stuck or like it was time to try something new?
Job wise, never a dull day. But I was more interested in the money (with the growing family and stuff), so I decided to shop around for new jobs.
>How did you handle switching directions—and how hard was it to re-enter interview processes?
Companies are looking for experienced candidates all the time, so it’s basically the same process as looking for jobs for the first time, and even there might be headhunters inviting you for interviews! It’s so convenient. And the interview process was significantly easier (mentally) as I was more experienced in technical and business perspective. But better jobs were starting to get hard to land as most companies are very specific in their requirements.
Don’t stress it. It’s great to have goals, but you will find your way as it all happens. There will be opportunities to advance and opportunities to pivot — you’ll do what feels right at the time. Think about how you felt freshman year vs how you feel now. Probably more focused and specific about what you want. I’d say it’s about the same feeling.
I started getting approached by actual quality recruiters for good jobs (like ones internal to the company) at that level of experience on LinkedIn.
I’ve had 3 major pivots as far as what I do in IT – one at 8 years, one at 10, and one at 15. All related stuff but different focuses.
It’s not a bad idea to interview periodically just to stay in practice. And you might get an unexpectedly good offer out of it.
With experience, the questions you ask the employer during an interview will change. You have the experience, and will be in a better position because the employer wants that experience. Thus, I wouldn’t take what someone has at 10+ years as something to build from. You have to approach the interview as you wanting to start your career in a company and field that you feel you’ll grow into and eventually evolve with your time within the company. You will have to let them know about situations relevant to the work, school projects, or volunteer work that demonstrate competence. Go in with enthusiasm as that’s probably your biggest asset aside from your schooling and training.
As for those of us with experience, I’ve found that I have to ask questions about how the role became vacant (constant turnover is a red flag) how projects are managed (many companies sadly don’t rely on project managers and management thinking that they’re saving money are just shooting themselves in the foot and will most likely blame the “foot soldiers”). I also like to ask about the equipment and the equipment lifecycle as it gives me an idea of how much the company spends on infrastructure. If they are cheap when it comes to hardware, they will most likely be cheap with their human resources. The last question I will ask, but will ask if I’m already 1.5 feet out the door and don’t have much interest in the company is does the CTO or CIO report to the CEO or if they report to another officer. This is probably one big tell as it is the difference between your department having the CEO’s ear or if they have to report to the CFO that means that they are bound by the financial aspect of the company and not what’s best for the company. For instance, imagine if your company’s CIO has to consider its cyber security budget with the CEO versus the CFO. The CEO is going to take the entire business into account when guiding that decision versus a CFO that will take into account money first.
These are just things to consider, but not until you’re established and can leverage your experience. Probably the worst thing I’ve seen from new graduates is them trying to leverage something that has yet to be established. Prove yourself with a few companies, and then leverage that experience and wield the confidence appropriately, but put your time in first.
There is a lot to unpack in your question.
Don’t sweat making the ‘wrong’ choice. Just get in the job market and do something you like doing. You are young enough that if it sucks you can leave and get another entry level job. And in a few years you don’t even have to put the first couple on your resume.
As you get older, you have less wiggle room to make career jumps. Of course it’s possible but once you are in mid level or management it’s hard to go back to entry level.
Interviews become really easy. I’ve interviewed candidates dozens of times, and so when I’m a candidate I empathize with the interviewer. Most times they check their calendar and forget there’s an interview in 30 mins and rush around trying to print off questions and the candidate resume just before.
I go in and shoot the shit with them for a few minutes, just be super casual and relaxed.
And in the back of my mind I don’t mind not getting the job because I’ve still got a pretty decent job where I’m at.
I’d say the following having worked for years now:
I’m less prone to impostor syndrome. I know I’m not the smartest person in the world, but I also know I’m not an idiot. I’m pretty good at my job and while that doesn’t mean I never make mistakes I don’t second guess everything I do either.
I understand the value of acknowledging when I don’t know something and treating it as a learning opportunity instead of trying to fake it when I don’t have the answer.
I know my own value and am much less likely to put up with bullshit (changing job requirements, lowball salary offers, etc.) from employers.
with job interviews specifically, I approach them less from the perspective of trying to impress the interviewer and more from the perspective of trying to figure out if this position is a good fit for me. I did a job search last summer and outright told one interviewer when he described the job in more detail than was in the posting that I wasn’t the best candidate for him because while I did have the most important skills required at a level of basic competence, I knew from my own experience that there are other people out there better at them than me, and also that the areas where I truly excel were not ones I’d have an opportunity to leverage in the position under discussion. That’s something I never would’ve done in my early 20s.
I’ve changed careers (retail, journalist, business owner, sales, strategy, consulting, public service). Typically move up through one, get bored, take a sideways move salary wise and climb another ladder. You gotta work a long time so may as well be interesting. Nothing is forever, qualifications are not just for a sector, the world changes and you need to adapt. Don’t fret, just begin, keep your eyes open and don’t settle without continuing to learn.
I’m going on 12 years and have been to 4 different jobs. Just be honest about your experiences.
Everybody is doing it! A job in the trades is where it is at, you’ll never be buried in student loan debt and probably better earning potential than some doctors! Research it!