Potential Career Path for High Schooler
I am a High Schooler and am starting to get to the point where I figure out my major and potential career paths.
I feel like I am pretty good at math and science; if not for finance, I would go for engineering. That being said, one path I am thinking about is, for example, operations at a manufacturing firm or something like that where I am finance-oriented but have a general understanding of the technical aspect of it as well. This also doesn't have to be a manufacturing or engineering company.
I know this is really far out (like 30 years from now), but what is the most common pathway to progress in this role (eventually becoming lead operations, vice president, or COO)? Unlike a hedge fund where there is a common route, banking -> HF, there doesn't seem to be one pathway that is proven to work.
Thanks.
If you want to start out in high-finance at large/well known firms you will need to start working on getting accepted to a "target" school now.
If you want to end up in finance after going for a different field, you might have to get lucky and know someone or network your ass off.
Thanks for your response, but I think you misunderstood my question. I am planning on doing a finance related major (econ, finance, bus admin, etc.) but I just wanted to know the pathway to become a COO/President/Operations lead. Since there is no definitive pathway unlike other fields.
bump
Had a conversation like this with my manager during my internship a while back. A lot of great F500 companies have FLDP (Finance Leadership Development Programs). Basically, a 2–3-year program for new graduates to rotate between corporate finance functions (Treasury, FP&A, BU) to find your place while learning more about the company. After that, work on high visibility, high impact projects to gain a reputation within the company. The rest is up to luck. Not saying that this is the only way tho
I had very similar thoughts at your age- I was good at math and science and considered engineering. I had an engineering internship/experience in high school and was scared off by how mundane it seemed- I remember the team trying to figure out the properties of the material we were working with to determine how many times they should turn a screw. I thought "Oh hell no" and eventually pursued finance.
But I thought I'd pursue finance at a company that does something I think is awesome- I was always interested in space exploration, so I went to an aerospace and defense company, working mostly in operations finance.
Frankly- it was the worst of both worlds. You don't really know any of the technical stuff- you're more of an observer, and don't know any more than you would by doing your own research. You don't get the engineering experience that enables you to leave and start your own company. Most of the finance work was really just cost accounting- burdening hours, assigning costs, establishing overhead budgets. You also work at a manufacturing facility- not some nice office. At two of my locations we didn't even have free coffee. There is a low career ceiling- the top finance guy at these locations was a manager, and I had a few other analysts around me who would be ahead of me for promos. And finally, cost accounting is the kind of work no one higher up wants to do.. so you spend years doing it, but you are learning a skill set you won't use once you get high enough.
I've seen great career paths come of out ops finance, but those were because someone was the analyst at a factory and their boss left, so they were promoted because there was no one else. Careers are made by luck, but your odds of getting lucky are higher elsewhere.
I'd recommend pursuing an FLDP- that will let you rotate through manufacturing finance to see if you are interested in it.
Holy smokes, you just described exactly how I feel. I feel like engineering is really good in terms of the rigor of the education, but the job is more repetitive and mundane as you said (know a few engineers).
When talking to someone who is in finance, he/she suggested a potential career pathway to get into the corporate ladder:
Consulting (preferably MBB) -> RX firm at FTI or A&M in their operating/restructuring side -> Corporate (where usually you would be an executive or smth like that)
This is only one career path, but essentially he/she said not to go into the corporate ladder right away as progress would be slow and has a lot of luck as you said.
Do you agree/disagree with this view? Also, what would be the best major to get into something like this?
Thank you again for your very detailed response, I really appreciate it.
bumpity bump bump bump
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