I’m in my early 40s living in Europe and I’ve been working as a management consultant focusing on banking for about 15 years now. My background includes a Computer Science degree from 2004 and an MBA from 2010. Back in the mid-2000s, I worked as a system administrator on Linux systems and spent a couple of years doing kernel development around 2007.
After getting my MBA, I’ve been doing consulting projects mostly in financial markets and trading platforms that handle complex financial instruments used by major banks. I was at a big consulting firm until recently but started working independently after they laid me off.
I’ve been taking time off for about 18 months due to some health problems and family situations. Now, I’m trying to figure out my next move. The banking industry isn’t hiring as many consultants anymore, and projects are getting harder to find. I’m looking for something with good job security and long-term prospects rather than just chasing the biggest salary.
Since I have some time available, I’m wondering what direction I should go. Here are some options I’m thinking about:
Option 1: Jump back into technology and focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Would companies actually hire someone my age when they can get fresh college grads?
Option 2: Try data engineering since that field seems to be expanding and might be more welcoming to older workers.
Option 3: Stick with financial services consulting but join a different firm and pick a specialty area. Any suggestions on what to focus on?
Option 4: Become a quantitative analyst but I’d need to learn more advanced math topics first which would take time.
Option 5: Try a different type of consulting like enterprise software implementation.
What would you recommend for someone in my situation?
Been there at 38 - sabbatical after consulting burnout. Here’s what worked: I mixed both paths instead of choosing one. Started freelancing with smaller fintech companies doing technical work AND advisory stuff. Your kernel dev background is gold right now - fintech startups desperately need someone who gets low-level systems but can talk business too. Age? Total non-issue in B2B consulting. Clients want gray hair and war stories, not bootcamp grads who’ve never handled a real production disaster.
With your tech background and finance knowledge, I’d focus on enterprise software implementation consulting. Companies love consultants who get both the technical side and business processes—that’s exactly what you bring. Your Linux admin experience, kernel dev work, and banking knowledge? That’s a combo enterprise clients are actively hunting for.
Don’t worry about age in tech. Big companies rolling out complex financial systems actually want consultants with proven track records, not junior devs. Your consulting approach and project management skills transfer perfectly to enterprise work.
I’d specialize in fintech platforms, regulatory compliance systems, or risk management software. These combine your technical foundation with banking expertise and have steady long-term demand. Learning new enterprise platforms won’t be tough given your technical base. Plus consulting gives you the variety you’re used to while being way more stable than pure financial consulting right now.
Cybersecurity consulting sounds perfect for you - it combines your tech background with your financial sector knowledge. Banks are drowning in new data protection and security regulations, so there’s huge demand for consultants who get both sides. Your Linux and kernel dev experience gives you street cred that business-only consultants don’t have. Plus your MBA and banking background means you can explain security risks in language executives actually understand. Age discrimination? Pretty much doesn’t exist in cybersecurity - companies care way more about proven skills than how old you are when their critical systems are on the line. Job security’s excellent too, with growth projected over 30% through 2030. You could focus on compliance stuff like PCI DSS or specialize in incident response for financial institutions.
totally agree! data engineering sounds like a smart move for you. with all your experience, you can really shine in that field. and yeah, companies appreciate seasoned pros, not just fresh grads. your linux skills will defo come in handy too. good luck!
Honestly? Drop the “am I too old” worry - that’s just companies trying to lowball you. At 40+ with your experience, you’re not competing with fresh grads anyway. I’d skip AI (way oversaturated) and avoid going back to pure finance consulting since you mentioned that market’s drying up. Quant analyst sounds appealing, but do you really want to spend months grinding through advanced math for a maybe? Data engineering pays well but it’s pretty boring. Stick with what you know - enterprise consulting - just pivot to something more stable than banking.