EOFY is a natural inflection point for organisations and the people inside them. Performance reviews wrap up, bonus outcomes are confirmed, and salary conversations happen. For many financial services professionals, it is also the moment they realise their career is not quite where they expected it to be.
If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. A mid-year career check is the perfect time to assess whether your career is still moving in the right direction, and whether your current role is helping you reach your long-term goals.
Why Mid Year is the Right Time to Check In
Once your performance review is done and compensation discussions have landed, you have a clear data point on how your employer values your contribution. That clarity, whether it confirms your position or raises questions, is worth exploring.
With six months left in the calendar year, there is enough time to explore new opportunities, build new skills, or reposition yourself before the financial services market slows for the Christmas period. Waiting until January means competing in a crowded field with everyone else who put off their career review.
If you’ve been deferring your own career check-in, here are the three areas to consider:
1. Is Your Compensation Keeping Pace?
Many professionals benchmark their salary against last year’s figure rather than their current market value. If your role has changed or expanded but your compensation has not moved proportionately, it is worth investigating what the market is paying for similar roles.
Consider how much your role has shifted over the past 6-12 months.
- Have you taken on more responsibilities?
- Are you managing more or larger clients?
- Are you contributing to initiatives beyond your original remit without a corresponding title or pay change?
Any significant changes to your position could command a higher salary elsewhere.
2. Is Your Role Still Building Your Career?
Career progression in financial services is rarely linear, and it is normal to experience plateaus where progress feels slow. However, there is a difference between a short-term lull and a career bottleneck. If you’re constantly feeling burned out, overlooked or confused about your role, then you may have hit your growth ceiling.
Ask yourself:
- Am I developing skills that are in demand?
- Am I taking on more responsibilities over time?
- Is there a realistic pathway to my next career step?
- Is my employer investing in my development in a meaningful way?
If the honest answer to most of these is no, it may be time to explore what else is available, not necessarily to make an immediate jump, but to understand your options.
3. Does Your Workplace Still Fit?
Organisations evolve. Leadership changes, priorities shift, and the environment you joined two or three years ago may look quite different today. Return-to-office policies, structural changes, and shifts in culture can all affect whether a role that once worked well still suits the way you want to work.
Consider whether your firm’s direction still aligns with your own ambitions. If it doesn’t, can that gap be addressed internally, or does it point toward an external move?
What to Do If Something Feels Off
Discovering a gap between where you are and where you want to be doesn’t mean you have to quit today. It can be an opportunity to reflect on your progress, focus on your goals, and gather more information.
Before making any definitive moves, it helps to understand what the current finance job market looks like, how your compensation compares with industry benchmarks, and what employers are currently looking for.
Having a confidential conversation with a specialist recruiter who understands the financial services market can often provide valuable perspective, even if you’re not actively looking to move.
Map Your Next Steps with Godfrey Group
If you are questioning your compensation, wondering whether your development has stalled, or are simply curious about how your role compares to the wider market, EOFY is the ideal time to consult the experts.
Godfrey Group works exclusively in financial services recruitment across wealth management, financial advice, funds management, accounting, superannuation and related sectors. We can provide jobseekers with a confidential perspective on their current position, compensation and potential next steps, whether you are actively looking or simply taking stock.
Contact us today or submit your CV online to start the conversation.
