A quick glance at Jacqueline Szeto’s career is enough to tell you that she’s a success by any traditional standard, but to her, accomplishments aren’t defined through titles or accolades.
“I’m a firm believer that you should have a career and not a job,” says Szeto, Vice President of Investment Programs at Canso Investment Counsel Ltd.
“A job is when you go into work, do your tasks, and get paid. I always wanted a career where I did something I loved so much that I’d wake up in the morning excited about my day. People laugh at how quickly I answer emails or how I’m always thinking of new ideas; they tell me I work too much. But it doesn’t feel like work, because I love doing it.”
If finding your dream career and achieving success on your own terms sounds like a big ask, Szeto says, it doesn’t have to be. For her, it began with a series of small steps and a willingness to learn.
Here’s her advice for anyone contemplating their next steps:
Keep an open mind
Young professionals often rush to make up their minds about what kind of job they want and how they’ll measure success – a good salary or a nice car, for instance. And they may think certain opportunities don’t align with those goals. But turning down a job because it doesn’t fit pre-conceived ideas could lead to missed opportunities. “Nothing you do is wasted; it is always good experience,” Szeto says. “The world keeps evolving, and you may end up working at companies that don’t exist yet, so you should stay open to different possibilities.”
Be creative
While working as a junior and middle school tutor while she herself was in university, Szeto ended up with more clients than she could juggle with her classes, so she hired a Teaching Assistant to tutor her on any class material she missed while doing her own tutoring – and paid them less than she charged to tutor her own students. She jokes that it was her first foray into arbitrage. But working to explain complex subjects to young kids also helped foster her creativity, look at problems in different ways, and hone her communication skills – all of which is still valuable today.
Don’t underestimate the value of transferable skills
When Szeto was just starting out in capital markets, she drew on skills she developed while in boarding school abroad – resiliency, work ethic, leadership and grit. “When I was on the trading floor for my first job, I would do anything from picking up people’s breakfast to inputting trades,” she says. “And because I was so helpful and willing to do all the stuff that nobody else wanted to do, I earned the opportunity to assist the top producers. That allowed me to develop a solid understanding of the fundamentals. I didn’t rush it; I put my head down and focused on learning. I’m still always learning, and that’s important.”
Diversify your skills and experience
“The more skills you have, the more flexible you’ll be, and the easier to pivot into new roles, which will propel you to success,” she says. Her early career encompassed money markets, short-term derivatives and foreign exchange, as well as stints in Calgary to cover oil and gas and FX at cattle ranches, as well as time in London and Hong Kong, where she covered regional and central banks. “All these experiences add up to who I am right now, and they’ve also helped me develop strong relationships,” she says. “Ultimately, creativity and your relationships are something that AI cannot take over. But developing that means you need a diverse background and experiences, and to grow your network.” To Szeto, relationships have always been valuable, but they need to also be genuine. “I still keep in touch with so many of the people I’ve met and worked with 30 years later,” she says.
Look for ways to help
Szeto spends a lot of time on informal mentorship and tries to be helpful anytime someone wants to talk about her field or their careers. “You need to have a strong team and strong people around you because you lift each other up,” she says. “I do this internally, but I also do it externally, so it kind of feeds on itself. I want to help support the growth of our business, whether it’s looking into opportunities in different markets, bringing in more relationships, or just continuing to push boundaries.” But that’s also something that can apply to newcomers, who may find opportunities to volunteer on boards or other organizations where their skills could be useful – which will itself turn into a learning opportunity and a chance to meet more people. “Being a mentor also fuels the passion I have for the business, as it reminds me how keen I was when I started.”
While success may look different for different people, Szeto says, thinking about what you enjoy and what matters to you, staying open and curious, and building strong relationships can go a long way.
There’s always a bigger title and a flashier job, but to Szeto, being excited about going to work, working in a field she’s fully engaged in, and having built relationships that stand the test of time means a lot more.
“Sometimes people chase other people’s definition of success, and they end up feeling like they’re just spinning their wheels or failing,” she says.
“But if you can find a balance – where you can be the best version of yourself, and where you are and feel like you’re contributing to the bottom line – that’s a good place to be.”
