Here’s how to grow your career in finance during periods of economic uncertainty, according to experts

Welcome to a special edition of Human Capital, featuring LinkedIn Top Voices in finance discussing how to navigate a career in the field amid market upheaval.

By Josh M. Carney , Devin Banerjee, Joseph Gobran and Jessica Oliveira Lee

From banking institutions on the brink to climbing interest rates, the financial services sector is navigating a period of broad economic uncertainty. Yet in the midst of overwhelming market tension, tens of thousands of new workers will be joining the ranks this graduation season, as an influx of summer interns prepare for their first taste of finance.

At this week’s Milken Institute Global Conference, leaders across the sector are focusing on how to confront these challenges and find ways to advance industries dealing with disruptive market conditions, emerging technologies and more. Across a difficult macroeconomic environment, understanding how to find that edge in tough times is vital for making a career out of market cycles.

So, how can you grow your career in financial services amid market upheaval? These Top Voices are sharing not only what it takes to get in, but also how to make the most of your opportunity while staring down an uncertain future.

Here are their takeaways — and share your own in the comments below or in a post using #MIGlobal during the 2023 Milken Conference.

Hone your ability to put data into context

Getting ahead in finance today requires not only having some technical capability, but also being able to contextualize, interpret and present data in a simple way. “Anyone who can communicate concepts effectively to both a technical and non-technical audience is really sought after,” says Deepali Vyas , a top recruiter in the sector and the global head of fintech at talent search firm Korn Ferry.

Effective technical translators should be comfortable simplifying sets of data and adjusting their approach for different audiences. Being an adaptive communicator is vital for building the foundational skills that complement analytical expertise. Packaging together those capabilities and conveying the value you bring to the table “really sets people apart, and sets them up for a variety of roles within financial services,” says Vyas.

Interpreting data in a way that creates an edge and adds value also requires staying up to date on the latest industry, company or product trends in order to properly contextualize information. “Staying close to what’s happening in a space allows you to have some level of engagement and thought leadership,” says Vyas. Leveraging timely insights to make a point or highlight a differentiated perspective can help finance professionals “get noticed and add value,” she says.

Developing a unique arsenal of skills will help certain workers not only remain resilient during times of economic uncertainty, but also “become indispensable” to employers, Vyas notes — which is why she advises people “to always index on developing a specialized skill set.” When you become uniquely valuable to a company, it “allows you to be even more mobile during turbulent times” she says, “because you are an asset.”

?? Check out more of Deepali Vyas’s insights on how to find a role in financial services.

Prioritize skilling and networking to weather economic headwinds

Figuring out how to grow a career in financial services begins with a key question, according to Amanda Hindlian : “What am I good at and where does that intersect with what I’m passionate about?” The president of fixed income and data services for the New York Stock Exchange’s parent company says that after honest introspection comes the “homework and due diligence” of identifying the types of roles that would be the best fit within a firm.

Acting on what you hope to achieve, however, can’t come at the expense of doing day-to-day tasks well. “Always focus on your priority skills,” says Mark Ross , a career coach for finance professionals. Carrying out your current job as best you can — and communicating the results to your manager — will build a foundation for pursuing larger goals, he says. Hindlian notes that you can’t “let the day-job performance ever degrade, because that will affect your credibility.”

Once you’ve demonstrated functional and technical expertise in your current role, networking plays an important role. Thoughtfully spending time with the people around you as well as colleagues across lines of business can broaden your vantage point and allow you to identify gaps within a firm. “You have to be really flexible and adaptable, and keep your eyes open to some of the trends and themes that you see,” Hindlian says, adding that investing in cross-functional relationships can prepare?you, your team and even the company to take advantage of market cycles.

“If you can muster the ability to learn how to remain calm regardless of what’s going on around you,” she says, a difficult macroeconomic environment “can actually lend itself to a lot of growth.”

Getting accustomed to adaptation — by combining the personal growth from stretch opportunities and a cross-functional network — creates career resilience during moments of market upheaval. “Your leadership is watching you,” says Hindlian. “Your ability to maintain a calm, cool head in a challenging or unsettling environment will differentiate you over the long term.”

?? Check out more of Amanda Hindlian’s and Mark Ross’s insights on how to grow a career in financial services.

‘Optimize under the conditions you find yourself in’

A long career in finance will see many market cycles, which is why Gargi Pal Chaudhuri , an investment strategy executive for asset-management giant BlackRock, says it's important that industry professionals not preoccupy themselves with a precise roadmap for their careers.

She notes that it's far more important to identify your professional “compass,” or the goals that you hope to achieve along the way. Focusing on what you want to do next, as opposed to where you want to be, can effectively steer your professional growth during moments of uncertainty. “Know the top three things that you want in your next role,” Chaudhuri says. “That’s your compass.”

To prepare yourself for that next opportunity, strategizing how to get the most insight from the information you’re responsible for is vital. Rich Falk-Wallace , the co-founder of a fintech firm, recommends “mathematizing” as much as possible, whether it’s qualitative news or quantifiable company data, by taking what may appear as complex or vague and putting numbers to it. “The reality is that the job often has to do with making the best decision in the context of highly imperfect information,” he says.

Finding success in conditions that may present limited opportunities for growth requires professionals to “optimize under the conditions you find yourself in — no matter what,” says Falk-Wallace. Making the most of your current role and preparing for the unexpected will position you to take advantage of disruption, Chaudhuri notes, because “often, periods of stress lead to some incredible opportunities.”

?? Check out more of Gargi Pal Chaudhuri’s and Rich Falk-Wallace’s insights on how to navigate a difficult macroeconomic environment.

About this article

This article features experts from LinkedIn's Top Voices program sharing their advice for pursuing a career in financial services. Top Voices is an invitation-only program featuring a global group of experts on LinkedIn covering a range of topics across the professional world, helping members uncover valuable knowledge relevant to them. You can learn more here.

Who is eligible to be a Top Voice

LinkedIn members who meet high trust standards, are consistently active on the platform and share valuable expertise are eligible to be a Top Voice, with the exception of LinkedIn and Microsoft employees, members who have violated LinkedIn’s User Agreement — including our Professional Community Policies — or individuals currently running in a political election for an executive, legislative or judicial position.

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