In finance and fintech, December is usually the month you find out if an end-of-year bonus is coming your way.
A month of financial pressure for many and a time where we dream up plans for the new year, it’s not surprising that money is very much on our minds at the moment.
If increasing your earnings is front and centre for you in those 2025 plans, there are a number of things you can do to start feathering your nest.
5 fintech jobs hiring right now
- Technical Writer, Finrec.io, United Kingdom
- UX/UI Developer - FinTech, Selby Jennings, London Area
- Java Software Engineer (Fintech), Evoke Talent, London
Area
- Project Finance Specialist, IPS Group, London
- SAP Finance S/4HANA Public
Cloud Expert (SAC), iO Associates - UK/EU, London
Develop high-demand skills
Start researching upskilling that you can complete in areas that really matter to your organisation.
Look at the company’s KPIs, and see what skills are missing from the team, and which ones can meaningfully contribute to the overall mission. Blockchain, cybersecurity, AI/ML in finance, and data analytics expertise are all still very much in demand.
But don’t do a course for the sake of it. Ask around and see what courses and educational sources are rated in your sector and company, and seek out ones with certifications.
Being a Certified Fintech Practitioner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) can really add weight to your experience when it comes to performance review time.
Many of these courses are self-led, online, so if you’ve a break from work in the last two weeks of the year, you may find yourself with a bit more time to begin. Even if you dedicate half a day over the break to getting started, that will take the sting
out of a new year start.
Book in conferences and webinars
Take a look at your 2025 calendar and pencil in upcoming conferences, exhibitions and webinars. Handily,
Finextra has a dedicated Events section that handpicks the best fintech ones, and currently there’s over 260 webinars to choose from.
Not only will these help you keep abreast of tech and industry changes, they will also provide knowledge that you can share with teams, or recycle as your own insights, if you’re so inclined.
Building a reputation as an expert, or at least engaged in the industry, helps build your personal brand internally, and externally if you choose to share online.
Find a mentor
This one is sometimes easier said than done. There isn’t as big a mentor culture in the UK, as there is across the Atlantic.
But if you do get a mentor, they can advise you, make connections, and guide you toward higher-paying opportunities. Platforms like MentorCruise and the Tech Alliance Mentoring Hub have fintech mentors willing and ready to go.
Otherwise, look to senior leaders you admire in your organisation, or at alumni groups, or industry associations, and have your direct and low-commitment ask ready to go. A monthly or quarterly coffee or meeting can be plenty; if you’re well prepared, you
can get a lot out of these.
Build your case
As your annual review approaches, spend some time preparing. Look up
job specs and see what other companies are offering for your particular role; if you’re not at a market rate already, you can use this for leverage.
Additionally, websites like Glassdor, PayScale and Levels.fyi will reveal what other companies are offering.
Ideally, by the time your review rolls around, you’ll have started or even finished a new certification, and you can talk about your readiness to take on new responsibilities and projects with this upskilling in mind. You can even identify a specific area
of the organization where you know you can really add new value.
Look for something new
Unfortunatey, often the best way to make significant salary gains is to move companies.
According to a new study from
SideHustles.com, who surveyed 1,003 full-time employees, over the past three years, job-hoppers saw a 35% pay increase which is almost twice as much as established employees received (18%).
Though even that 18% sounds generous.
According to CIPD, the average pay increase in the last 12 months was 4.38%.
SideHustles.com also found that 30% of job-hoppers received four or more raises in the previous three years, compared to 9% of long-term workers.
And nearly one in two full-time employees (47%) believe job hopping is more financially profitable than staying with one employer.
If moving to a new company is an option for you, get ahead of the January rush and start applying today.
Ready to find a new role? Visit the Finextra Job Board where you’ll find new roles updated daily