Junior Job Hunter: I'm bored in the back office, so I'm heading to Melbourne to get my big break

Our columnist makes a decision...

I'm finally making a career/life change and moving to Melbourne. I have given notice in my current position as a temp at a Big Four bank in a regional Australian city.

I need bigger and better opportunities and I need to finally break into my preferred career path: equity/asset valuation and analysis. Escaping the back office is a priority! While some might say I'd be better off in Sydney, my heart says Melbourne, so I'm following my heart.

I am approaching my 2010 job search in a cautiously optimistic mood. Australian employment is surging and the unemployment rate has supposedly peaked.

But first, my story so far...

Since returning to my small home town in April, after two years' travel, I hit the bottom of a worldwide economic depression, particularly in the banking sector, and I struggled to gain employment. I applied for graduate or entry-level positions, but I wasn't offered any interviews.

Next up, I used a recruitment firm to obtain my temp position in operational banking. I worked hard in this role and was interviewed for a management position in October. I didn't get that job, but was pleased to have gained some valuable interview experience.

I also searched extensively for a postgraduate course that could "value-add" to my degrees and help me break free from the back office. After applying to several universities, attending MBA info sessions (and even meeting a CEO), I decided to enrol for the June 2010 CFA level 1 exam.

However, despite the security of my current job, and the cheapness of living outside of Sydney/Melbourne, I decided that with a new year fast approaching and the economy recovering, I just had to make my move. Finally, at 27, I have decided on a career path, now I need to start walking on it.

2010: my career odyssey...

So to 2010, and to my career goals; something most young professionals ponder during December. Firstly (and most importantly), I want to find a position which is sustainable. I want to be with a firm for the long term, to build from the bottom. Because I have never previously felt settled and have been a keen traveller, I have never been in a job longer than eight months.

However, in 2010, I want to be with a firm for next year and beyond, demonstrating my abilities and moving to mid-level banking by the time I'm 30. I'm confident I could find any job in a bar, or a temp position, to keep me afloat, but I've done that, that was 2008! I'm too old for that life now.

Secondly, I want to pass the CFA exam in June at my first attempt. Studying for the past month, I have realised just how hard it really is and how broad the course content is. It will no doubt require discipline and foregoing something I love (a social life), but I feel it will be worth it.

Just reading a textbook won't teach me much unless I can integrate the knowledge from the course, so I hope the job I get allows me to use valuation principles and helps plug my shortcomings in topics such as bid/ask spreads, soft dollar arrangements and how the mid office connects and integrates with the front office.

I don't really know where to start when planning my upcoming move. House? Job? But to quote my Mum: "How do you eat an elephant?...One bite at a time!" I start eating on January 1.

Do you have a job-searching story to share with other eFinancialCareers readers? If so, please email apac.editor@efinancialcareers.com