25 October, 2021
#12 Portrait of a woman in finance: Salomé Adjeme
“In my opinion it is important to know what you want and speak up to create a better work life balance for yourself.”
As a young school leaver, I was quite clear on wanting to have a productive career in the Finance Industry. I was keen to be part of a growing market and in an environment that would not only challenge me, but also present opportunities for me to evolve and grow professionally.
Fortunately, I secured an opportunity to work at Euroclear quite early in my working life, however, I did not have a definite progression plan at that stage in my career. After a few years in EOC I was able to work with a career coach who supported me in identifying my skillset and helped me determine my career path.
I was able to identify which route worked for me. Not only did I feel a sense of job accomplishment, but I was presented with a sense of control of my life. I quickly learned that by having a long-term career vision, you can progress with confidence, and give yourself options as to how to get there.
If I had to give my younger self any advice it would be to search for a career coach or mentor, if possible, as soon as you get into a company.
In my opinion it is important to know what you want and speak up to create a better work life balance for yourself. Early on in my career I can recall moments when I was too afraid to speak up about what did or did not work for me. I didn’t always have a good work-life balance and thought it would be badly perceived if I worked only 80% for ex. However, today I know you can make it work by being clear and speaking up on what you need and want. We are now in an era where women not only support each other but are more vocal about what they need.
I am very happy in the position that I am in right now, I have found my balance between being a Collateral Account Manager but also creating and being part of cooperate initiatives, such as the Ethnicity & Culture group and the Women Empowering Academy which is a platform for helping women and men to start a personal development journey. It’s all about growing, getting to know yourself and planning for the future.
