Choosing a career path in finance

So I have been in finance for just enough time to get some exposure to what the work is like. As far as I can tell there are several career paths that would be an option for me:

Continue work as a technical consultant - the pay is ok but its going to be a while before I can compete with Principle Consultants. Also there is not much of a mapping between what I am being paid and how much I am billed out for. Life can be stressful as you move from one project to the next. This can also be a very good thing as you get exposure to a lot of different environments.

Become a specialist in a product like murex/calipso - the permanent salaries for these jobs are not that great. However contract rates appear to be quite good.

Go permanent at a investment bank - most of the money comes from ones banking bonus. You have to compete against other people on the same level of you and work your way up a pyramid.

Working for a financial product software house  - like calipso

Become a Business Analyst - spend lots of time interviewing people

Become a product manager for a finance product - decide which features are important, write feature specifications, helping with testing, promotions, marketing

Or aim to become a CTO / Operations manager / Tester / Business specialist

Here is a list of roles to think about

• Application Support
• Business Analyst
• Business Architect
• Change Manager
• DBA
• Developer
• Performance Tuner
• Programme Manager
• Project Manager
• Technical Architect
• Technical Team Lead
• Test Analyst
• Test Manager

 and a list of some skills

• Ajax
• Business Analysis
• Business Architecture
• C#
• C++
• Change Management
• Flex
• Java
• Javascript
• Messaging
• Oracle
• Perl
• Process Re-engineering
• Programme Management
• Project Management
• Sharepoint
• SQL Server
• Sybase
• Technical Architecture
• Automation Testing
• Manual Testing
• Performance Tester
• Test Management
• Testing
• Unix
• UI
• UX
• VBA

And some areas

• Back Office
• Asset Liability Management
• Back Office
• Credit Risk
• Finance/Accounting 
• Financial Control
• Front Office
• Liquidity Risk
• Market Risk
• Middle Office
• Product Control
• Operational Risk
• Commodities
• Credit
• Derivatives
• Equities
• Fixed Income
• Futures
• FX
• OTC Clearing
• Payments
• Treasury
• Asset Management
• Corporate Banking
• Hedge Funds
• Insurance
• Investment Banking
• Risk
• Prime Services
• Securities Finance
• Treasury
• Retail Banking

and some products

• Beauchamp
• Calypso
• Murex
• Sophis
• Summit
• Global One
• Syncova
• QuIC