I'm 23, graduated from college last year with a major in business/finance and started working for a megacorp as a financial analyst. I have been working 6-month assignments in our various businesses and in another year, I'll finish this training program and take a regular full-time job with the company. I still have a ways to go before I get to ER, so I want to get on a job track that I enjoy...hopefully will make the time go faster.
Of course, I need to know what I want to do before I can answer any questions. At this point, I know that I like finance and I like technology (hardware, software, network applications, etc.) and I REALLY like the intersection of these two. The Energy segments I've worked for have been fine, but I don't wake up excited in the morning thinking about gas turbines. But I don't know if I would be happier as a finance manager for a technology company, or as a finance/IT project manager for a non-technology company.
In either case, I want to have as many options as possible...I'm thinking about my "5-year plan" which encompasses a few questions:
- What kind of job do I want to get off-program with megacorp in a year? It will be finance related, but it could be...general accounting, profit and loss management, IT finance systems, commercial finance, etc. What area helps move me towards my goal? Should I try to get specialized experience with a software package like Oracle ERP or SAP? Does the size of the segment I work for matter?
- What kind of educational plans should I start making? I want to get my extra schooling out of the way before marriage/kids. Is an MBA the obvious choice here? I also think about a CPA, but it may be too limiting. On the other hand, having detailed technical knowledge with detailed accounting knowledge could be a potent combination in a technology startup. Is there another option I haven't considered?
- How long should I stay with the megacorp (which is well known and well respected, good for the resume) before looking for greener pastures? Right now I am thinking 4-6 years (unless something much better comes along out of the blue) which would be 1 more year on-program and then 2-4 years in "regular" jobs. It's likely that I can get employer tuition support for a part-time MBA or masters in accounting, so another reason to stick around for a few years.
Does anyone have some wisdom that they'd like to share?
Of course, I need to know what I want to do before I can answer any questions. At this point, I know that I like finance and I like technology (hardware, software, network applications, etc.) and I REALLY like the intersection of these two. The Energy segments I've worked for have been fine, but I don't wake up excited in the morning thinking about gas turbines. But I don't know if I would be happier as a finance manager for a technology company, or as a finance/IT project manager for a non-technology company.
In either case, I want to have as many options as possible...I'm thinking about my "5-year plan" which encompasses a few questions:
- What kind of job do I want to get off-program with megacorp in a year? It will be finance related, but it could be...general accounting, profit and loss management, IT finance systems, commercial finance, etc. What area helps move me towards my goal? Should I try to get specialized experience with a software package like Oracle ERP or SAP? Does the size of the segment I work for matter?
- What kind of educational plans should I start making? I want to get my extra schooling out of the way before marriage/kids. Is an MBA the obvious choice here? I also think about a CPA, but it may be too limiting. On the other hand, having detailed technical knowledge with detailed accounting knowledge could be a potent combination in a technology startup. Is there another option I haven't considered?
- How long should I stay with the megacorp (which is well known and well respected, good for the resume) before looking for greener pastures? Right now I am thinking 4-6 years (unless something much better comes along out of the blue) which would be 1 more year on-program and then 2-4 years in "regular" jobs. It's likely that I can get employer tuition support for a part-time MBA or masters in accounting, so another reason to stick around for a few years.
Does anyone have some wisdom that they'd like to share?