27 - Too Late to Go Back into Finance?

So.. I'm 27 and actually a finance major that kind of screwed up his career. I graduated in 2014 from CSUF without interning/networking and took the first job that was offered at a manufacturing company as an account manager. After the excitement of getting my first full time job had worn off - I've begun to realize this is a completely dead end job and I've learned no transferable skills.

A switch went off a few months ago and I've been trying to turn everything around. I've been applying for jobs like crazy, mostly in real estate and finance jobs, but haven't had much luck so far. Right now, I'm strongly considering getting a Masters in Accounting then taking the CPA. In the mean time, I'd like to see if I can possibly land a better gig than my paltry $36K. If I do, I'm pretty sure an accounting masters would be a nice compliment, even without the CPA.

I've tried my best to spin my resume to be more "financy" but the truth is it's pretty irrelevant and I'm fairly old for an entry level position. Is it too late for me to get back on track towards any semblance of a career in finance, preferably real estate finance? What kind of jobs should I be applying? Should I get a bachelors or masters in something else?

Thanks in advance.

3 Comments
 

If a manufacturing company has an "account manager" position, I would imagine they are fairly large. If they are large, why don't you be upfront with them and ask them if there is something for you that is even more finance related, like a corporate dev position or so?

Otherwise, school or the CFA are both options. Don't worry about the late start - you'd regret it more if you never tried and were stuck in the dead-end job for life.

 

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