I love being a woman in the financial industry because of how it makes me feel. Sure, there are some hardships and there can be obstacles to overcome such as discrimination, but as a woman I am breaking stereotypes.
The financial industry has always mainly been male based, and as a female, walking into the office twice a week, I feel a sense of pride walking through those doors.
I love being a woman in the financial industry because of the opportunities that there are for women. As a black woman in fintech there are always communities for support such as the Black Apprentice Network, Black Women in Tech etc. There are also communities in the workplace (especially my workplace) for diversity groups, and there’s people you can contact if you feel discriminated in any way.
Financial firms are also trying to recruit more women due to stereotypes, which means more opportunities and also more people that look like you in the workplace.
I also love being a woman and working as a woman in the financial industry because of the fact that I can be a guide for other girls like myself, especially ethnic minorities, because if I can do it so can they. It can be hard breaking into the financial industry if you don’t have any connections or don’t really know where to start, so me being in the financial industry will allow me to help others and also become a role model for them.
As stated earlier, I am breaking stereotypes, because I am not just a woman, but I am a black woman. A woman of Caribbean heritage, and there are not many Caribbean women in the financial industry.
This is not all sunshine’s and rainbows though, and I do want you all to know that being a woman (especially an ethnic woman) in the financial industry can be hard, especially because sometimes you may have a male centred team like I have and it may be hard to find similarities on different things. You may also find that you come across stereotypes just because you are a woman, but don’t let those things hinder you because being a woman is amazing. You are amazing.
“A career in finance provides women with a voice at a table where creative thinking and differentiated views are valued and rewarded”.
A career in finance also provides one of the best opportunities to work in international markets, and finance is one of the most
lucrative careers you can go into. Women are slowly taking the world by storm, and working in the financial industry allows me to do just that.
To close this off, I love working as a woman in the financial industry because of the constant opportunities to challenge myself and progress my skills. In the financial industry everyone is expected to produce innovative ideas and are given a chance to take on challenging assignments, and I am someone who never backs down from an assignment.
You should consider working in finance!!
You can connect with Lauryn Chen on LinkedIn to keep up to date with her apprentice journey!
