Rutherford Cross Consultant Ally Deas shares his thoughts on why the most successful careers rarely follow a perfectly planned route, and why staying open to conversations and unexpected opportunities can often make all the difference.
The Perfect Career Path Is Rare
Spend enough time speaking with successful finance professionals and you’ll quickly notice a common theme: very few careers follow the plan.
As a recruiter specialising in accountancy and finance across Glasgow, I spend my days speaking with candidates at a broad range of stages of their careers, from part-qualified accountants already working in industry to newly qualified accountants taking their first steps into industry, through to Finance Directors and CFOs leading large teams and making strategic decisions.
Alongside that, I’m partnering with businesses across the market to understand their hiring plans, succession challenges, and the skills they need to achieve their goals.
Sitting in the middle of those conversations provides a unique perspective. It allows me to listen to what the market is telling us, understand evolving trends and learn from the experiences of people who have successfully navigated their careers.
One lesson consistently stands out: the best opportunities often come from places people never expected.
Success Isn’t Always a Straight Line
When people look at successful finance leaders, it’s easy to assume their careers followed a carefully mapped-out plan. In reality, that’s rarely the case.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from speaking with finance professionals across Glasgow is that careers often develop in ways nobody could have predicted. People regularly tell me about roles they almost didn’t take, sectors they never expected to work in, or conversations they nearly turned down because the timing didn’t feel quite right. Looking back, many of those moments proved to be pivotal.
That’s not to say planning isn’t important. Having a clear sense of direction matters, particularly when you’re thinking about long-term goals. However, the professionals who tend to progress most successfully are often those who can balance that ambition with a willingness to explore opportunities when they appear, even if they don’t fit neatly into the original plan.
The Value of Conversations
Something else that stands out from the hundreds of conversations I have with finance professionals every year is how often career-defining opportunities begin with a simple discussion.
It might be a chat with a colleague, an introduction through a professional contact, or a coffee with someone working in a different sector. In many cases, these conversations start without any particular agenda. They’re simply an opportunity to learn from someone else’s experience or gain a fresh perspective. Yet it’s often those moments of curiosity that lead to the most significant career decisions.
That’s one of the reasons I enjoy recruitment so much. While helping clients hire and supporting candidates through career moves is a big part of the role, I also have the privilege of hearing countless stories about how people have built their careers. Every conversation offers a different perspective, and there’s always something new to learn.
Planning Your Career Journey
It’s one of the reasons we’re hosting our upcoming event, Planning Your Career Journey, on 22 October.
The event will bring together finance leaders from across Glasgow to share the realities of their career journeys, including the decisions that shaped their progression, the challenges they encountered along the way, and the lessons they’ve learned through experience.
If there’s one theme I expect to emerge, it’s that very few careers follow a perfectly straight line. Instead, there will be stories of unexpected opportunities, calculated risks, career pivots, and conversations that ultimately changed someone’s direction.
For anyone thinking about their next step, those insights can be incredibly valuable. While having a plan is important, some of the best opportunities in our careers are often the ones we never saw coming.
If you’re considering your next career move or looking to gain insights from finance leaders who have successfully navigated their own career journeys, we’d love for you to join us at our Planning Your Career Journey event on 22nd October.
To find out more and reserve your place, please see the event invite here, and RSVP to [email protected].
Contact [email protected] for more information or support with your finance career.
Why the Best Careers Rarely Go to Plan
Rutherford Cross Consultant Ally Deas shares his thoughts on why the most successful careers rarely follow a perfectly planned route, and why staying open to conversations and unexpected opportunities can often make all the difference.
The Perfect Career Path Is Rare
Spend enough time speaking with successful finance professionals and you’ll quickly notice a common theme: very few careers follow the plan.
As a recruiter specialising in accountancy and finance across Glasgow, I spend my days speaking with candidates at a broad range of stages of their careers, from part-qualified accountants already working in industry to newly qualified accountants taking their first steps into industry, through to Finance Directors and CFOs leading large teams and making strategic decisions.
Alongside that, I’m partnering with businesses across the market to understand their hiring plans, succession challenges, and the skills they need to achieve their goals.
Sitting in the middle of those conversations provides a unique perspective. It allows me to listen to what the market is telling us, understand evolving trends and learn from the experiences of people who have successfully navigated their careers.
One lesson consistently stands out: the best opportunities often come from places people never expected.
Success Isn’t Always a Straight Line
When people look at successful finance leaders, it’s easy to assume their careers followed a carefully mapped-out plan. In reality, that’s rarely the case.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from speaking with finance professionals across Glasgow is that careers often develop in ways nobody could have predicted. People regularly tell me about roles they almost didn’t take, sectors they never expected to work in, or conversations they nearly turned down because the timing didn’t feel quite right. Looking back, many of those moments proved to be pivotal.
That’s not to say planning isn’t important. Having a clear sense of direction matters, particularly when you’re thinking about long-term goals. However, the professionals who tend to progress most successfully are often those who can balance that ambition with a willingness to explore opportunities when they appear, even if they don’t fit neatly into the original plan.
The Value of Conversations
Something else that stands out from the hundreds of conversations I have with finance professionals every year is how often career-defining opportunities begin with a simple discussion.
It might be a chat with a colleague, an introduction through a professional contact, or a coffee with someone working in a different sector. In many cases, these conversations start without any particular agenda. They’re simply an opportunity to learn from someone else’s experience or gain a fresh perspective. Yet it’s often those moments of curiosity that lead to the most significant career decisions.
That’s one of the reasons I enjoy recruitment so much. While helping clients hire and supporting candidates through career moves is a big part of the role, I also have the privilege of hearing countless stories about how people have built their careers. Every conversation offers a different perspective, and there’s always something new to learn.
Planning Your Career Journey
It’s one of the reasons we’re hosting our upcoming event, Planning Your Career Journey, on 22 October.
The event will bring together finance leaders from across Glasgow to share the realities of their career journeys, including the decisions that shaped their progression, the challenges they encountered along the way, and the lessons they’ve learned through experience.
If there’s one theme I expect to emerge, it’s that very few careers follow a perfectly straight line. Instead, there will be stories of unexpected opportunities, calculated risks, career pivots, and conversations that ultimately changed someone’s direction.
For anyone thinking about their next step, those insights can be incredibly valuable. While having a plan is important, some of the best opportunities in our careers are often the ones we never saw coming.
If you’re considering your next career move or looking to gain insights from finance leaders who have successfully navigated their own career journeys, we’d love for you to join us at our Planning Your Career Journey event on 22nd October.
To find out more and reserve your place, please see the event invite here, and RSVP to [email protected].
Contact [email protected] for more information or support with your finance career.
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