Career advice after a nine-month analyst role in energy consulting

[SereneRoseRobin]

Hi all,
I’m looking for some honest career advice.
I’m in my mid-20s and recently completed an MSc in Economics.

My background is in economics, data analysis, sustainable finance, energy/climate work and consulting. I’ve previously worked in financial services/restructuring, responsible investing, project finance/estimating and most recently in an energy/data-focused analyst role at a consultancy.
In my most recent role, I worked on things like energy market analysis, Python/data workflows, decarbonisation work, EV/grid-related projects, and internal automation. I also have experience with R, Python, Excel, Power BI, econometrics, ESG/climate analysis and stakeholder-facing work.
However, the role did not work out, and I’m now trying to work out my next move. I’m worried about how to explain a short stint it was 9 months-, whether I should stay in energy/climate analytics, pivot back toward finance/investment research, apply for general analyst roles, or aim for public sector/economics roles.

On paper, I think I have a strong profile: MSc Economics, consulting experience, data skills, sustainability/energy experience, internships in finance/investment, and volunteering/leadership experience. But I feel quite shaken and unsure how realistic different paths are now.
What would you do in my position?
Specifically:

1. Should I lean into energy/data/climate roles, or broaden out?
2. How much will a short role hurt me.... it lasted for 9 months
3. What kind of roles would be most realistic for someone with my background?
4. How should I explain leaving without sounding defensive?
5. Would recruiters see this as a decent profile, or am I overestimating myself?

I’d really appreciate blunt but constructive advice, especially from people in consulting, finance, energy, analytics, economics, policy or recruitment. Thanks.

Having read a few of your threads OP, I think there’s a number of issues all colliding together here. Looking at it objectively as someone who does recruit, these would be my concerns.

1. Your statement of just wanting to make money. As a recruiter, I can see it a mile away. People think they do a good job of masking but generally there’s a sense of it that comes through application into interviews and definitely into probation.
2. Self-awareness. You believe that you have a strong profile. At this stage, you don’t. You have potential, but so do a lot of other candidates. Your work history looks chaotic because it is and you haven’t spent long enough in any postgraduate role to have really developed the necessary skills.
3. You talk about people CBA to train you. How much initiative have you taken towards your own learning and seeking out those development opportunities? I can train a new member of staff but ultimately that person is an adult responsible for their own learning. If I’ve employed someone it’s because the workload means I need someone who can work independently at some point in the near future. Nine months is far beyond that.
4. Your other thread you talk about reasonable adjustments. To you, these may absolutely be reasonable. To the business, they may not. The level of support you’re asking for just isn’t workable long-term in many areas. For example, rapid feedback. I can’t drop everything to give rapid feedback. Feedback is given in 1-1s every 2 months unless it’s something needing urgent action. Managing a team of 50, if they all wanted rapid feedback I wouldn’t have time to do my own job.
5. Attitude. This is the big one. Employers will sense it. In this thread you openly talk about lying in your CV and your only response would be how would they know. If I’m employing someone to do analysis for me I need to know I can trust that person. The second that trust is broken, our relationship is over. I can’t rely on anything you tell me ever again so I may as well not have you in post. And we do find out. Industries can be incredibly small. I’ve previously had an acquaintance who met with friends in a rival firm and a new starter joined them claiming to have been headhunted at a third firm. Which is very unfortunate as my acquaintance knows the third firm member very well and could absolutely confirm that never happened. On your other thread you talk about having recorded without your team consent. This is gross misconduct where I am. An apology is absolutely required and an acknowledgement of why you shouldn’t have done it. It doesn’t matter if the meeting was recorded in another format.

my honest advice is to go away and think about what job you actually want to do and how to break into that industry at entry level whilst considering professional behaviours. All of this is said with kindness OP, and in the reality of the working world.