A former investment banker who changed careers has 3 tips if you’re considering switching industries

Angie Chen quit her investment banking job after one year and now works in marketing.

One year after starting her investment banking job, Angie Chen received her bonus. She then put in her two weeks notice.

“I used to feel so cool saying I worked in finance, in investment banking, I’m not going to lie,” she told B-17.

But Chen said that the status of a career in finance wasn’t worth the grueling work. The highly coveted six-figure starting salary — and potentially millions if you successfully work your way up the banking ladder — is usually accompanied by long hours. The typical 80 to 100-hour workweeks have caused some junior bankers to complain about burnout and exhaustion.

Although she was aware of what a job on Wall Street entailed, Chen said that it became less tolerable for her after graduating from college.

“I think as I grew older, I just valued my free time, my independence, and just personal interest and passion a bit more than just grinding 24/7 for a corporate company,” she said.

Chen, who made content about her investment banking career on TikTok, said that her social media inspired her to consider entering the marketing industry.

“I loved the creative freedom that I had from it,” she said. “As I was thinking about transitioning out of banking, marketing was one of the roles that came up.”

Now a campaign marketer, Chen said that she has gotten several comments claiming she “downgraded” in her career, but they don’t bother her — especially since she believes that many assume that marketing is a low-paying industry. But the field offers several positions that are more “analytical and data-driven” with higher pay, she told B-17. While the pay for various marketing roles varies, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the average salary for marketing managers in the US to be $166,410.

For those considering a career pivot of their own, Chen offered the following pointers.

Figure out your pros and cons

You might not be happy at your current job or company, but Chen said it takes time to understand why.

She suggested making a list of reasons you don’t like your current role but also the positive aspects of your company. Chen said it helps you visualize what you want in your next firm and narrow down your priorities when looking at different opportunities.

“For some people, it might be culture and team, but for others, it might be money and prestige,” she said. “For me, the biggest one was exit opportunity, and the second was pay.”

Eventually, Chen narrowed her ideal positions to campaign management, growth marketing, and product management marketing — which she hopes to eventually work her way into.

“I thought it was a perfect blend of my interest in marketing, my analytical background, and my coverage of technology,” she said. “It combines everything into one singular role.”

Chen also said she found the culture within marketing less overwhelming than that of banking, where she said she struggled to find a senior mentor.

“My current manager is very hands-on with my day-to-day,” she said. “So there’s a lot of chances to gain visibility and just showcase where you add value.”

Other experts have also advised breaking down whether you are being “pushed” out of your current profession because of something you don’t like or if you’re being “pulled” toward another opportunity. If something is pushing you out of your role, consider implementing certain changes, like switching teams, that can rectify your role.

Network with ‘warmer contacts’

While cold messaging on LinkedIn is a common strategy, Chen suggested trying to obtain “warmer contacts,” or contacts suggested by mutual connections.

“Definitely quality contacts over quantity,” she said. “When I network, I don’t like it to be super formal.”

Chen said that because she was fairly transparent to her banking coworkers about her interest in marketing, several of them offered their contacts in that industry.

“I was also just fortunate because I was sharing my career journey on social media,” she said. “A lot of people had actually reached out to me to give advice and recommend roles or people to talk to.”

She also said that people should do their “own basic homework” and narrow down a few roles that they are potentially interested in before reaching out. Chen said during her research, she broke down the different sub-verticals within marketing and eliminated areas that she was not interested in.

“And then ask people why they chose this industry, what their long-term goals are, any advice they have,” she said. “And if any of those resonate with you, that might be the field for you.”

Revise your résumé

Don’t assume your résumé is ready just because it worked for you in your current industry.

Chen said that when she presented her résumé to marketing professionals, several had “no idea what it was even talking about.”

“My résumé was very, very finance-heavy,” she said. “I did have to revamp it completely to just make it less finance jargon and more marketing-friendly.”

Chen spoke with many marketing experts to “understand the way they speak” and familiarize herself with industry terms. Based on their feedback, she simplified her CV by removing any deals and finance-specific nuances and highlighting “transferable skills” that were applicable to both industries.

“Data and analytics were big ones since that’s the direction that marketing is heading, and client relationship as well,” she said. “Also presentation and project management skills.”

Career coaches have also advised job seekers to keep their résumé specific but also include specific keywords tailored to their new industry.