I’m 25 and am scared of falling behind. My company is small so there is no trajectory up. I feel I’ve learned everything I could here. I also worry about becoming less competitive the longer I stay at a non profit. I’m going to apply to credit unions, small lenders affiliated with SBA, community branches of banks, and anything similar. I’ll move my way up from there. Any advice is appreciated, whether about the resume or commercial lending in general. Thanks!
Hello! I’m 25 and have been underwriting small business loans for a non-profit CDFI for two years. Currently at $70k and hybrid schedule. Very supportive team, leadership, and WLB. I wouldn’t consider leaving if there was a path to move up in both title and pay. I am also starting to feel stagnant.
Wanting to make a next step and unsure what that looks like. Worried about not being competitive enough, given I started at a nonprofit meant to lend to risker businesses. We are also a small fund and the biggest loan I’ve worked on was $750k.
Because we are a small team, I got additional experience working directly with clients, presenting/ hosting workshops for the public, loan closing, and taking on a BDO role at the same time while underwriting. But I worry about my lack of technical skill since these are smaller/more flexible loans, and our systems are very manual. This CDFI was new when I joined and there was no set infrastructure.
I will be looking into smaller credit unions or banks that have a CRA/community lending branch and move up from there. Also considering SBA. But I am unsure of my long term trajectory. I see many go into corporate banking so that’s something I’ll consider.
What are some certifications/trainings that could help me stand out? My company would likely pay for it. How can I pitch myself to compete against others when I’ve only worked on small, unconventional loans?
Any advice, a breakdown of your trajectory, or general industry insight is appreciated!