Fintech has shown its resilience in even the toughest of economic times. It was born in the last century and accelerated despite the 2007 financial subprime mortgage crash. Pockets thrived during the pandemic as they took advantage of the increased need for online payments, and investing. Undeterred by the challenges to fintech funding experienced in 2023, The Fintech Times recently reported that 2024 could be the “best time in a long time.” This could boost growth, hiring and opportunities for people to enter and succeed in the sector. Whether you’re looking to excel in your current position within fintech or secure a new role, here are some top tips from fintech experts:
Fintech is adaptable: Show how adaptable you can be.
Chris Yea has worked in fintech for over a decade in talent acquisition. Having conducted over 5000 interviews, he says you must be adaptable because fintech is vast. Sectors within this industry range from banking, insurance, payments, and fraud. Roles in these areas span from technology to product support, marketing and sales. Ruwani Hewa is the Product and Propositions Director at fintech provider Nuapay, and suggests you prepare yourself for a ‘different challenge every day.’ After completing her Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, she transitioned to banking and payments and later joined a fintech company. She says success in fintech is achieved by those who want a “job with lots of variety and different problems to solve.” Preparing examples of how you have been adaptable will set you apart.
Fintech is curious: research and prepare questions for interviews
AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Web3, and Meta have all taken fintech by storm. Sonal Bomb is the CEO of Technoxander, and she says in fintech, “You get up every day, and there is something new happening.” The core of fintech is making business accessible and efficient. Any new ways of doing that have to be embedded quickly so you will need to show how you can reflect that. Zhenya Winter is a marketing and subject matter expert. She says the customer must always come first, through the constant pursuit of the best solution. You excel when you showcase examples of continual learning and keeping up with the market trends. You should prepare for your interviews by doing your research. You will set yourself apart by planning smart questions that show you are curious about the company, it’s strategy and goals.
Fintech is resilient: evidence yours.
In this dynamic industry, it’s important to be ready for its constant changes and have examples of your own adaptability ready. Felicitas Coulibaly is the Sales Development Manager at Snowflake, a data-focused business. She has managed sales teams in fintech throughout her career and advises to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” She advises that setbacks are growth opportunities and encourages you to use them as tools for improvement. Rashmi Prabhakar is a fintech veteran with years of experience as a Program Director driving Digital and Cloud Transformation at banks and fintechs at Finastra, Genesis Global and GSS. She emphasizes that resilience must be evidenced in interviews for new hires and promotions. Rashmi encourages you to reference examples to show that “you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are willing to put in the effort to go beyond the expected.” Pallavi Modi is Senior Speciality Sales at Factset, a business dedicated to open data and technology. She expects people to have clear examples of where and when they were ‘tenacious in their resilience’ in previous jobs or responsibilities. This helps her identify whether someone will thrive in such a ‘dynamic and fast-paced’ environment. She looks for how they will deliver creative, strategic client solutions aligned to the firm’s vision and goals.
Fintech expects enthusiasm: consider your attitude.
“Trying your best is different to working hard,” says Matt Jackson, Head of Relationship Management and Marketing at the payments firm, Freemarket. He says those who make the biggest impact in the industry are the ones “who take an interest and push themselves to go the extra mile” because they care. Rashmi agrees, saying that fintech is all about adding value to customers. She says, “It’s a symbiotic piece of how you can help that organization achieve their objectives and goals” whilst progressing yourself. For you to truly shine, your enthusiasm about your business and its goals must align with your personal goals and attitude. When you ask yourself what value you add, it can strengthen your drive and motivation. Chris says that in an interview, you may have the skills and experience they are looking for, “but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be driven to do a good job for that company.” Attitude, commitment to success, and willingness to solve problems are key.
Fintech builds on proven skills: Prepare for scrutiny.
To succeed in a fintech interview, you must have a deep understanding of your skills and be prepared to demonstrate your knowledge as stated in your resume. Sonal believes that it’s important to be able to show evidence of your competency. She says you are “either a tech lover who knows coding, data analytics, cybersecurity. Or you love business, which means you know your fundamentals of finance.” Be prepared to showcase the skills you say you have. Ruwani emphasizes the importance of ‘setting yourself apart’ from your competitors in job applications. She advises you to get yourself some work experience and pick up skills where you can “have your feet in technology and your head in the business.” As a computer science graduate, she highlights that this doesn’t mean everyone needs to code, but you should understand how ‘tech works.’ She says, ‘solve pain points’ for your customers, and there are lots of life experiences you can use as examples to share how you will do that.
Fintech research increases your chances.
Adele Armstrong is the Global Relationship manager of the crypto firm, Elwood Technologies. She supports doing your research to give yourself the best chance. Adele highlights that many people ‘close the doors’ on themselves by saying, ‘I can’t’ or ‘I don’t have’ the right skills. She suggests being detailed in your application by researching the company, the people you are meeting, and the business mission and values. She advises you to ‘align yourself’ with those values and consider how you may espouse them. Felicitas agreed and gave an example of a recent run of hiring where she oversaw over 100 applicants. Only a few followed up their applications with a LinkedIn connection to her, saying they thought they would be a good fit and, more importantly, why they would be a good asset to that business and her team. Felicitas said these few immediately elevated themselves because “They had done their research and then done something with that by reaching out personally.”
Fintech excels with great communication: Practice your delivery.
Zhenya says for any role in fintech, you have ‘got to deliver that targeted message correctly.’ This may be in answering ‘How does our solution meet the requirements of the regulator?’ or ‘Could this line of code be written more efficiently?’ or ‘How can do we address customer demand, all whilst providing technology scalability for the future? Communication in Fintech is about confidently and passionately conveying your understanding of your customer’s pain points. Matt explains that this isn’t only for the extroverts. Great communication includes “quietly authoritative people”, too. He says, in fintech, there “is room for every character type.” Michelle Ansell is a Global Leader of Commercial Transformation Change for Exchanges, Banks and fintechs. She says, “My neurodiversity has enhanced my career.” It has allowed her to pick up on verbal and nonverbal cues in meetings easily. She sees communication as her standout strength, enabling her to effectively manage global commercial relationships for market data and markets facing technology at a global bank. Practicing how you answer interview questions will allow for clarity and optimum delivery of your messages.
Fintech has Networks: Begin building yours.
Matt describes fintech as a ‘well-connected industry’ and says, “When you make those connections, there will always be an opportunity there.” He says this from a direct experience of being made part of a large-scale redundancy years ago. His boss then moved to another company and took Matt with him. His boss ‘vouched for him,’ his attitude and skills. Sonal advises aspiring professionals to leverage LinkedIn to connect with people and roles of interest in the sector. She says to follow companies where you would want to work, look at what people share and talk about, and engage with them. Adele encourages, “get yourself along to fintech events open to the public” to build further relationships. Prepare your opener, know what interests you and how you want to be remembered by whomever you meet. Zhenya recommends you prepare a brief introduction of yourself and test it out. She asks, “How do you want them to describe you when you leave the room?” In the professional world, networks should be built not only with a sense of taking but also with a sense of giving. Rashmi warns, “Don’t engage with your network just when you need something from them.” A network is your community that needs ‘nurturing’, ‘building’ and ‘adding value to’; think about how you can help others too. Sonal agrees saying, “It is essential for individuals to be mindful that connections and actively contributing value to others is crucial for long-term success and mutual growth.’’
Fintechs are mission-led: What’s yours?
In every interview process, you must answer a question about your motivations. Every fintech will have their own mission, and for most people in the organization, that will align with their own values and ambitions. Felicitas says you must prepare for ‘what makes you tick.’ She has interviewed hundreds of people who she says have given her answers they think she wants to hear. She is passionate about missions being ‘true and meaningful.’ Only then does Felicitas feel that person is “here to get stuff done”. When applicants are truthful about their motivations, they are transparent about their long-term dedication to learning and growth. For Sonal, this commitment extends to creativity and innovation as well. She says for any fintech role, you must “Think outside the box, and in Fintech, there is no box.” To stay committed, you must remind yourself of your mission, what motivates you and what your final goal is.
Fintech is a field that can offer vast opportunities for learning and career progression. It is an opportunity for anyone is who is passionate, driven and ‘willing to learn’ to succeed in scaling new heights in their career. It’s important to remember that fintech is for everyone, regardless of their background. If you’re interested in this field, you should consider applying. The fintech industry is full of experts who come from a variety of backgrounds. For example, Zhenya studied ancient history, Adele was a European Studies graduate, Matt worked as a security installer at a zoo in Libya, and Chris began as a bricklayer’s apprentice. By implementing their hints and tips, you can set yourself on a brilliant career path in the dynamic fintech sector.