Have you ever sat down and mapped out your career? Like, actually considered each step in detail and created a plan to help you get to where you want to go?
Many people haven’t.
In finance, it’s easy to move from role to role, picking up better titles and pay. And if it’s working, why overthink it?
But in finance, where the landscape is changing fast thanks to tech, regulation and sustainability, you’ll need a plan if you want to make it to the top. One of the most common things about all the successful candidates we place is that they have a plan. They know where they are, where they’re going and what they need to get there.
The good news is, it’s not too late to create your plan. It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at. At Core3, we work with finance professionals across every level, and mapping the journey with intent and impact is always part of the conversation.
Here are our top 7 tips to help you map out your career.
1 – Know the Stages: A Career in Finance Isn’t Just About Promotions
You might think your career starts when you get the job. But it really starts earlier – at the hiring stage. From there, it runs through onboarding, development, progression and eventually, offboarding (whether that’s a pivot, an exit, or retirement).
Understanding these stages isn’t just useful for employers. It helps you as an individual pinpoint what you should be focusing on and when.
Your job search is about more than landing the role. It’s about finding the right culture, manager and challenge to support your long-term growth.
- Onboarding is where you lay the groundwork. Get to grips with the people, the systems and what success actually looks like.
- Development means building your skills through feedback or by stepping into new challenges.
- Progression is not just a vertical climb. Lateral moves, secondments or taking ownership of something new all count.
- Offboarding doesn’t mean failure. It can be a springboard for new opportunities. Leaving on good terms sets the tone for your next move and for how people remember you.
2 – Get Clear on What You Want
It sounds simple, but we speak to lots of finance professionals who don’t actually know what they want long term. If you’re ambitious, it’s easy to default to chasing the next rung on the ladder. But you need to align as well as advance.
That means getting honest about your goals, then talking to your manager about them. Want to move into strategic finance? Need exposure to board-level conversations? Curious about ESG reporting or AI in FP&A?
Say it. Own it. Then create a development plan that backs it up. These conversations shouldn’t be one-offs. Bring them to the table in your one-to-ones and keep the conversation going.
3 – Keep on Learning
Finance doesn’t stand still. Whether it’s AI, ESG or data transformation, the industry is changing fast. The professionals who stay relevant are the ones who stay curious.
Yes, qualifications still matter – CIMA, ACCA, CFA – but real growth often happens beyond the textbooks (if people still use textbooks, that is?). Go to industry events, shadow a senior leader, or lead the project that feels slightly out of your depth. Those experiences shape careers more than any course.
Soft skills matter too. We wrote a blog about ‘technical vs human skills’ recently, and finance leaders tell us the same thing again and again: they want people who can influence, not just analyse. Someone who can explain numbers in plain English and who can lead under pressure. You don’t magically get those skills. You get them by putting yourself in the right situations to experience them.
4 – Think Strategically About Pivots and Progression
Career growth isn’t always linear. Some of the smartest moves we’ve seen come from people who’ve gone sideways to go forward.
That might mean moving from financial reporting into a commercially focused role where you’re closer to business decisions and strategy. Or switching from group finance into a business unit where you get end-to-end ownership and more visibility with senior stakeholders.
We’ve also seen people pivot into specialist areas like data analytics or ESG reporting — not by starting from scratch, but by gradually building exposure through projects, training, or mentoring.
And if you’ve hit a ceiling in your current organisation, sometimes the right move is into a smaller, high-growth business where you can take on broader responsibility and stretch your skillset.
The point is, sideways isn’t backwards. A smart pivot helps you pick up transferable skills which can accelerate your progression, open new doors and reignite your engagement.
5 – Don’t Sacrifice Wellbeing at the Altar of Ambition
Finance can be intense. Long hours, high pressure, lots of responsibility. That’s the job, but it’s not the whole picture. If you want a sustainable career, you’ve got to make space for balance.
That might mean pushing for flexible working. It might mean saying yes to a lateral move that gives you breathing room. It might mean stepping back before you burn out.
There’s no shame in that. In fact, it’s smart. Because a career isn’t just a sprint from role to role. It’s a journey. And the people who last, the people who get the best opportunities, are the ones who look after themselves along the way.
6 – Use the Tools Available
You don’t have to do all this in your head. There are tools and frameworks to help you plan your path. Whether it’s a career map, a self-assessment or just sitting down with someone impartial who can help you think it through.
For example, a simple 3-year roadmap can help you lay out where you want to be and what skills, experience or exposure you’ll need to get there. That could include getting your first budgeting responsibility, managing a small team or leading a system implementation project.
Another useful exercise is a “skills audit”. This is where you compare your current capabilities against the requirements for the role you want next. Maybe you’re eyeing a Commercial Finance Manager role, but you’ve never presented to non-finance stakeholders. That tells you where to focus next, and where you might need to push for experience or support.
At Core3, we help finance professionals make sense of what’s next. That might mean identifying those skill gaps. Exploring potential career pivots. Or just talking through what “good” looks like at your level.
7 – Your Career Is Yours. Own It.
Nobody will care about your career as much as you do. Not your manager. Not your HR team. Not even your mentor. Which means it’s on you to map it, shape it, and drive it.
That’s why mapping your career matters. It helps you take control. To spot the right opportunities to grow and develop the right skills.
It all starts with understanding the journey, then having honest conversations about where you want to go. It means investing in your learning, staying sharp and staying relevant. It means being strategic about the moves you make and protecting your well-being along the way.
You don’t have to figure it all out alone. At Core3, we specialise in helping finance professionals map out what’s next with clarity, confidence and better long-term results.
So if you’re ready to get the career you’ve always wanted, let’s talk.
