28-year-old engineer wonders if it’s too late to pivot and build a career in finance

SINGAPORE: A 28-year-old engineer recently turned to social media to ask if it is “too late” to make a mid-career switch into the finance sector.

Posting on the ‘Singapore FI’ subreddit on Saturday (Aug 16), the man said he’s recently developed an interest in finance and has been upskilling with courses and certifications to make himself more competitive.

However, despite all that effort, he admitted he’s still unsure if he can make the leap.

“I have been upskilling…but I’m worried if I would even be accepted due to the condition of the job market currently,” he wrote.

“Will it be too late if I want to switch industries at the age of 28-29 years old? One of my main concerns is taking a pay cut and not being able to reach the pay I currently hold. Any advice would be appreciated.”

“Very doable, but requires effort!”

The post quickly sparked discussion among Reddit users, many of whom encouraged him not to worry about his age.

Several pointed out that some people in their late 20s “haven’t even started their careers yet,” so making a switch at 28 is “really far from too late.”

To push him even more, several users shared stories of people who successfully changed careers at older ages.

One commented, “A friend of mine switched to cybersecurity at age 50. He was a supervisor of 50+ people doing things like asset management, inventory, etc. Took 6 to 12 months studying deeply, passed, and now working for the G.”

Another shared, “I switched from engineering to analytics when I was 40 and felt better than ever, but make sure you switch to something [you’re passionate about], not [just trying things] out through trial and error.”

A third added, “Not too late; I myself changed at 29/30, but you need to be realistic with yourself and accept that your pay is likely entry-level and you may be behind your peers in socioeconomic status. You also need real HARD work to prove yourself and to climb. Very doable, but requires effort! If given a chance, I will still do it again at 28/29.”

In other news, an employer has decided to terminate the contract of her domestic helper after discovering through CCTV footage that her one-year-old daughter was being neglected while she was away at work.

In a post shared anonymously in the “Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid/Domestic Helper” Facebook group, the employer claimed that the helper spent most of her time watching television instead of attending to the baby.

Read more: Employer terminates maid’s contract after discovering through CCTV that her 1-year-old child was neglected