How To Plan Your Next Career Move

Redefining Growth With Purpose

In private banking, growth is too often mistaken for motion. A bigger title, a fatter package, or a louder brand may look like progress, yet real growth is rarely about accumulation. It is about clarity, purpose, and direction.

As a headhunter, my job is not simply to identify the next pathway for a banker, but to map the terrain ahead, guide them through the uncertainty, and shorten the runway to where they want to be. What I’ve learned is that most failed interviews and transitions are not about capability or even chemistry, but about intent. Many bankers move for the wrong reasons, chasing surface-level measures of success that don’t align with their deeper goals.

The truth is, the way you define growth dictates the way you move. Below are the most common types of bankers I meet, each with a unique way of measuring success and the challenges that come with it.

The Money Banker

For some, growth begins and ends with income. Whether it is a higher base salary, a better payout formula, or a lucrative bonus structure, the financials dominate the conversation. Money can be a powerful motivator, sharpening focus and driving productivity, and when structured correctly it can elevate a banker’s commercial discipline and results.

But when money becomes the only lens, perspective narrows. I’ve seen many overprice their value, benchmark against friends, and overlook the support a platform offers in pursuit of short-term gain. The result is often a fast start followed by a hard landing. The most financially driven bankers tend to achieve their targets, but they rarely achieve fulfilment.

The Leadership Aspirant

Leadership has become the new ambition; every banker seems to want to step up, take charge, and mentor others. It is an admirable goal and, done for the right reasons, it can transform both a team and a franchise. Bringing institutional knowledge into a leadership seat can re-energise a business, attract new talent, and challenge the status quo.

Yet today’s leadership roles bear little resemblance to the glamour of old. The wine and golf culture has been replaced by governance, KYC oversight, and compliance management. It pays less than it used to and carries far more scrutiny. The modern team head is a business manager, not a social ambassador, and those expecting prestige without process are quickly disillusioned. Those who succeed are the ones who understand that management is now about systems, controls, and stewardship, not entertainment and relationships.

The Development Banker

Some bankers move to evolve, to step out of a consumer-led platform into a full private bank, or from a wealth preservation boutique into a one-bank powerhouse. These are the moves I respect most, because they are built on self-awareness. Growth through learning can be the most rewarding form of progress, opening access to complex transactions, structured credit, and new wealth life cycles.

Yet development also demands humility and resilience. The jump to a larger institution comes with culture shock and internal politics. It means leaving comfort behind and exposing oneself to greater scrutiny. Stepping up is not about getting noticed, but about growing into an environment that challenges you. Those who thrive here are the ones who adapt, not the ones who expect instant reward.

The Dream Job Seeker

Then there are those who have long fantasised about working at a certain bank. Whether it is Goldman Sachs, UBS, or JPMorgan, the brand itself becomes the destination. There is value in ambition; a top-tier platform can refine your discipline, surround you with world-class peers, and strengthen your credibility with clients. It can also give you access to global reach, infrastructure, and prestige that would otherwise take years to build.

But prestige can also be deceptive. What feels like arrival may quickly feel like restraint. Processes are slower, autonomy is reduced, and the culture can be far less entrepreneurial than imagined. The dream job can turn into an exercise in patience, where brand satisfaction must offset bureaucratic frustration. Sometimes the reality of working for the name does not live up to the dream that inspired it.

The Culture-Driven Banker

For others, growth is about belonging. They want to work with people they trust, in an environment that values collaboration, empathy, and mutual respect. When you find a leadership team that invests in you and shares your values, it can be transformative. It brings out better performance, deeper loyalty, and genuine satisfaction.

Yet culture can also mislead. Many bankers follow friends or former colleagues only to discover that what suited one does not suit another. Familiarity is not always fit. True alignment is about shared purpose, not shared history, and when that is missing, the warmth of friendship can quickly turn to frustration. But when values truly align, the result can be career-defining.

The Client-Focused Banker

Among the most admirable are those who move entirely for their clients. They look for platforms with stronger booking centres, better product diversity, or more sophisticated capabilities. For them, the next job is not about themselves but about improving what they can offer. These bankers often enjoy the highest client success rates and build enduring loyalty, which ultimately translates to stability and long-term growth.

However, being client-first can also have limits. Their humility sometimes masks ambition, and they become the steady pair of hands that the institution depends on but rarely promotes. Balancing client advocacy with personal progression requires courage and self-awareness. The most successful of this group are those who serve clients without losing sight of their own trajectory.

The Retirement Mode Banker

After decades in the game, some bankers simply want peace. They seek the final chapter that offers balance, flexibility, and dignity. That might be a vice-chairman role, a boutique setup, or an MFO seat that allows them to protect client succession and maintain relevance without daily pressure. It is a noble move, and when managed well, it ensures both personal wellbeing and a smooth handover for clients.

Yet it is also one of the hardest transitions to execute. Moving from the mainstream into wind-down can reveal a loss of influence, slower pace, and unexpected frustration. The trade-off for tranquillity is often a sacrifice of control. It requires careful planning and self-awareness to find the environment that brings satisfaction without regret.

The Career Reinventor

Finally, there are those who want to start over. They’ve had enough of mainstream private banking and want a new challenge in asset management, private credit, or single-family-office advisory. These moves can be invigorating, bringing fresh perspective and renewed enthusiasm. You leverage your client access, apply your financial acumen differently, and rediscover excitement in learning.

But reinvention comes with reality checks. You exchange one set of targets for another, one set of regulations for a new version. Pay scales are rarely equivalent, and the loss of institutional identity can sting. Reinvention requires humility and patience, but for those who endure, it can lead to the most fulfilling second act.

Final Thoughts, Redefining Growth

The most successful bankers I meet are the ones who have redefined growth in personal terms. They know that progress is not always upward or outward; sometimes it is inward. Growth can mean learning new skills, building better balance, or aligning career with character. If you cannot define what growth looks like for you, the market will decide for you, and it rarely chooses kindly.

Trust the Right Headhunter

A good headhunter’s job is not to sell you a role, but to help you understand your direction. We translate your objectives into logic, map the possible routes, and identify which institutions truly align with your purpose. We pressure-test your reasoning and help you plan, so when you do interview, you walk in prepared not just to answer questions, but to articulate intent.

Too many bankers use headhunters as postmen, delivering CVs instead of perspective. The best ones use us as navigators, sounding boards, and co-pilots. If you’re planning your next move, pause and ask yourself why. What are you really chasing — more money, more power, more learning, or more peace?

Once you find that answer, every conversation, including the interview, becomes easier, more authentic, and far more successful. Because the best moves are never impulsive; they are intentional, well-planned, and purpose-driven.

If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please contact me directly.