CAREER DILEMMAS: Hedge fund admin is so boring I've resigned in order to get a job in technology. Was this a bad idea?

By Monday 22nd August, I will officially be unemployed. Unlike the many people facing redundancy within the banking sector, my new-found status will be entirely self-inflicted.

For four years, I've been working as a senior trade administrator in Dublin, but as I'm based in Bettystown, this has involved spending half my life commuting on a train. When snowy weather hit around Christmas last year, I faced the prospect of a six-hour round trip. Despite the arctic conditions, Irish Rail was running one or two trains a day, and this was enough for my employer to demand I came into work.

This was the final straw. After working for three top hedge fund administration firms in Dublin, working 15-hour days including the commute, I finally found a role closer to home. Even better, it seemed like my dream job. Unfortunately, it quickly turned into a nightmare and, six months on, and I've handed in my notice.

Maybe this wasn't my best move, and perhaps it was a little impulsive. It seemed like a good idea at the time though. I'm now faced with the prospect of no job and bills that have no intention of going away. Quote frankly, money is so tight that we're unlikely to make it beyond the first week of September.

Here's the crux of the matter though - I don't want another hedge fund admin role, I want to move into technology.

I've spent four and half years in financial services, worked for three of the biggest funds companies and it's given me an insight into multiple IT platforms. There's a growing market for analysts and new system development, and ideally I'd like to move in that direction.

Sadly, I don't have a formal technology qualification, despite spending a lot of time learning key skills in my spare time and this is proving to be a sticking point. I had designed a cunning plan; I would send CVs to companies I've always wanted to work for, and if that didn't work I'd apply for jobs that looked interesting. Failing that, I would apply for financial service jobs.

So far, I've received a united front of silence from the jobs that I had no experience in even though some of my tech skills are transferrable.

Desperation has taken hold, and I've begun applying for financial services roles again. I've had a few leads, but nothing solid.

I don't expect your sympathy for my situation, but I do want some advice on what the next step should be. Any help would be appreciated.

The author is a financial services professional who preferred to remain anonymous. Leave any comments or advice below, or alternatively get in touch with him on <a href="mailto:Augustjobhunt@gmail.com"Augustjobhunt@gmail.com. If you'd like some advice from the eFinancialCareers community, send your career dilemmas to <a href="mailto:editor@efinancialcareers.com"editor@efinancialcareers.com