UCLA Econ grad ('23) stuck in telecom operations. Living in LA, feeling skill-less, targeting $80k pivot into finance/corporate. Reality check needed.
Hey everyone, looking for a realistic assessment of my situation and actionable advice on where to pivot.
Background:
Education: B.A. in Economics from UCLA (Class of 2023).
Experience: Took a 1-year gap after graduating, and have been working for the past 2 years at a telecom company handling consumer orders, activation workflows, and daily account operations.
Location & Living Costs: Based in Los Angeles. Fixed monthly costs are around $2,000 ($1,500 rent + $500 car lease/insurance) before food/utilities.
The Problem: Looking back, I feel like I didn’t pick up any hard technical/financial modeling skills from my undergrad or my current role. I’m feeling pretty stuck and directionless.
Target:
Pivot into a role with a solid career trajectory and an entry/near-term compensation target around $80k pre-tax (to realistically keep up with LA living costs).
Not chasing high-finance IB/PE dreams here—just looking for steady, upwardly mobile corporate paths.
Paths I’m Considering / Questions:
- Corporate Finance / Junior FP&A / Pricing Analyst: Is it realistic to break in without an accounting/finance major, assuming I grind financial modeling courses (e.g., Wall Street Prep / CFI) and advanced Excel on my own?
- Operations / RevOps / Business Analyst: Given my 2 years of operational background in telecom, would this be an easier transition to hit the $80k mark, and does it leave room to cross over into finance later?
- Skill Priority: If you were in my shoes with basically a blank slate in hard skills, what should be my single highest-priority skill to build over the next 3 months (e.g., Advanced Excel/VBA, SQL, or formal financial statement analysis)?
Appreciate any honest feedback, tough love, or alumni perspectives. Thanks in advance.