Career advice?
I’m looking for honest career advice from people already working in finance/banking. I’m currently an International Relations major with a Public Administration minor, and lately I’ve been trying to pivot toward finance. I’m preparing for the SIE exam and trying to build a path into banking, ideally eventually at a global bank.
My background is a little unconventional:
- international development internship in Rwanda
- nonprofit/community work
- medical assistant experience
- restaurant management experience
- cross-cultural/program coordination work
- multilingual (English + Bengali)
- lived/studied/worked across multiple countries
Right now I’m trying to figure out what the smartest next step is.
So I wanted to ask people who actually work in the industry:
Would banking/customer service experience at a bank genuinely help long term?
What types of internships or entry-level roles should someone with my background realistically target?
Is wealth management/private banking a more realistic route than investment banking?
How much does not having a finance minor actually matter once you start gaining experience?
If you were in my position, what would you focus on during the next 12 months?
I’d really appreciate honest advice, even if it’s blunt. I’m trying to be strategic and realistic instead of chasing prestige blindly.