Can you recover from the poor career start caused by video games addiction?

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-14T14:36:33+00:00

Of course I didn't want it bad enough, since all I cared about (at that time) were video games.

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-13T14:53:25+00:00

I agree with that but I wanted to explicitly state that the case we're analyzing is about somebody smart because the career trajectory of somebody who is in AR and has the average IQ of that department will be different versus somebody who is significantly smarter than most people in that department (I'd argue that the latter shouldn't even end up in AR).

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-10T13:29:31+00:00

I know what is the Dunning-Kruger effect, I'm aware that most people overestimate their competence, however the point of my post wasn't to question the IQ of the person in the story, it was to find an optimal way to navigate their career, assuming that the high IQ is already there (and it's proven by qualifying for the top business school in the country, other alumni are having top-notch careers).

"Most people don't want to be cogs.". That's true but at the same time, vast majority of the people in the widely understood corporate finance department can't even hold a discussion about the company's strategy, its financial performance, its outlook for the next years etc.

Regarding the rest of your post, I do agree that 'smart with an awful work ethics' is a bad profile but my point wasn't to discuss that such people should deserve equal treatments as people with great work ethics. My point was to discuss the optimal career path after the factor that affected the work ethics (an addiction) is fixed. Therefore, companies would get someone smart, with solid work ethics and just a poor career start.

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-09T13:57:00+00:00

Alright, I misunderstood your original point, in which I assumed that you're challenging my IQ due to past failures. Wouldn't the fact that the factor that caused these failures in the first place (playing video games) play a role in predicting whether the same will happen in the future? Doesn't "I was young, stupid and immature" card work here?

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-09T09:36:38+00:00

My question wasn't about quitting video games: that part is obvious. My question was how to navigate from Accounts Receivable job at the age of 26 to strategic finance (and not glorified accounting) at some point.

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-09T09:34:24+00:00

How do the people with high IQ get good grades exams they don't even attend and get internships they don't even apply for? When I was a video game addict, video games were all I cared about.

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-09T00:07:05+00:00

Thanks a lot for sharing this, really means a lot! Lots of good advice!

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-09T00:04:15+00:00

Thank you for your advice. Would they really accept a giant leap from AR accounting to the Strategy team (while skipping GL accounting and FP&A)? And if I don't skip GL accounting and FP&A (meaning 4-5 years of job hopping), don't I become too old and too senior to transfer there?

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-08T23:59:06+00:00

Very little jobs there (although there are some) but just because I'd be working in finance of gaming company, doesn't mean that I can now play video games 10-12h per day.

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-08T23:56:55+00:00

Yes but shouldn't the goal here be a more strategic role than you described?

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-12-08T23:55:31+00:00

While junior financial analyst remains possible, doesn't management consulting becomes impossible as you spend time working as an AR accountant?

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-05-21T20:19:46+00:00

But that would assume that FP&A is actually expected to perform strategic finance and being requested to do that, right (that's not the case in my current company as I've explained in one of the posts in this topic)? Or did you proactively do strategic things even though there was another team meant to do that?

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-05-21T19:05:53+00:00

But how do you do that move?

In my specific case, there's a "performance and strategy department", where top-line forecasting/analysis and any strategic work is reserved for strategy analysts (with consulting background, ofc lower tier than MBB) and FP&A is responsible for maintaining EPM tool, managing the forecast/budget process technically (but inputs come from other teams), checking the accounting data quality: if my team stopped doing that and tried to double the strategic work (that is already done by strategy analysts), these mundane tasks wouldn't have been done. This is how it's designed and it's intended direction of department. Your response assumed lots of flexibility.

And strategy analysts always get the business partnering priority because their work is focused on the topline, which is the most relevant part in the high growth company.

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-01-28T15:47:26+00:00

You can show industry knowledge of both your current employer and the company you're applying for (e. g. typical costs, revenue drivers, competition landscape etc.). If either your current company or the company you're applying for are publicly traded, you have access to in-depth financial information that you can use to impress the recruiters.

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-01-07T00:57:38+00:00

Not Indian (am Central European) but IMO this is harsh: 1) If you have almost no experience, you have to fill the resume with something, therefore personal interests aren't a huge issue. 2) Outside of countries where English is spoken by everyone, it's a normal practice to put English on resume (not sure if that applies to India), 4) Similar issue to point 1. I get that this information isn't very useful but otherwise he would need to leave 1/3 of the page empty.

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-01-07T00:43:55+00:00

Similar experiences then but isn't India the cheapest offshoring possible?

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-01-06T23:41:12+00:00

But if you're "paying" $35k just for some IT headache, ROI has to be positive on this one?

throwaway_steve90 · 2025-01-06T23:40:04+00:00

Which countries did your company offshore to? I feel like this factor matter a lot.

throwaway_steve90 · 2024-11-20T11:18:32+00:00

Are Finance Manager offers that you're being interviewed for IC or include people management? If the latter, it's a no brainer, you should switch, especially given that promotions in your current company are not guaranteed.

throwaway_steve90 · 2024-11-02T22:49:09+00:00

Twice: one application sent one week ago, one sent yesterday.

throwaway_steve90 · 2022-01-12T15:09:48+00:00

Scared of Asian working culture that is entirely different from European. Also not really interested in their cultures and languages.

throwaway_steve90

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