Covid-19 has accelerated the digital shift in banking and finance and fintechs are competing for staff that have a strong financial services background. So, how should you build on your financial sector experience and update your skills?
In 2020, worldwide fintech funding topped $44bn and, as the biggest fintech hub outside Silicon Valley, London accounted for nearly a tenth of that.
But the rapidly expanding fintech sector doesn’t just hire software engineers and techies! It needs financial services professionals to help:
- meet complex regulatory requirements
- keep the customer’s trust
- provide excellent service, and
- have a deep knowledge of the market.
Fintechs need your financial services experience, but to break into the sector, you need to upskill.
Digital skills in retail banking customer services
Digital services offer banks and customers a lot of advantages but Covid has shaken up retail banking sector. Suddenly, bank branches were empty and expensive retail infrastructure was antiquated.
Around 60% of fintechs globally launched new products in the first six months of 2020, as even Baby Boomers – who had resisted digital services – embraced online banking during the lockdown.
And it wasn’t just incumbent banks that had to re-examine their strategy. Older fintech players found themselves in a fight to maintain their lead over newer competitors. That’s why Intuit bought Credit Karma and Wordline acquired Ingenico.
What hasn’t changed is that banks will always need good communicators in their customer services roles – whether in branch or working remotely. But now, customer-facing roles demand a more sophisticated skillset, including know-how in assessment, problem-solving, data analysis and digital.
Luckily, you can update your learning and get a qualification in just a few months.
Our Certificate in Retail and Digital Banking (CertRDB) will give you the skills you need to take the next step in your banking career – or hit the ground running in a new financial role.
On-demand bitesize learning lets you study in a way that suits you – from standard text, to videos, and interactive multimedia activities such as quizzes – so you can fit the course around other commitments.
Learn about fintech business models
If you’re working – or planning to work – in a fintech or a digital team in financial services, you need to demonstrate your knowledge of fintech business models.
In just six weeks, you can get a recognised credential that will help you do just that.
We developed our Certified Fintech Practitioner course with Lendit Fintech. Ideal for early to mid-career professionals, this interactive course will help you build on your knowledge of banking and finance, so that you can:
- be better at your current job, and
- prepare to take the next step in your career.
Along with virtual lessons and guided self-study, you'll hear from those who work in fintech about the latest strategies in the market.
Become a digital leader in finance
All banks are embracing new technology across their businesses. This goes from blockchain-based innovation in transactions, to new AI-driven approaches to regulatory compliance. Banks, such as JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, are heavily investing in large fintech projects and need skilled professionals.
If you’re educated to degree level or equivalent, you can study part-time online to get your skills up to speed with the new technological advances in the sector.
Why upskill in fintech?
Fintech is a growth sector, which means it’s getting more funding and doing more hiring. That opens doors – not just in the UK but across the whole world.
Related content
You can start CertRDB when you’re ready – find out more and apply
Visit the LIBF Centre for Digital Banking & Finance website for more about CFP