Malta’s financial industry is thriving, creating many career options for young professionals to enter the payment processing industry. There are various career paths available, depending on your skills or interests: you can work in business development, compliance, risk management, IT, or account management. How do you kickstart your career and join the payments industry?
How do you become a payments professional?
To get into the industry, it is advisable to have a general degree and spend some time becoming familiar with the ever evolving landscape surrounding modern banking and investment. There are various undergraduate degrees and diplomas that can provide a good background in this, leading to further options to specialising at a Masters level.
Working in the payments sector means you will be at the heart of any organisation’s operations. The size of the company will influence how you will approach the role, what options you have to grow, and opportunities to move laterally. The vast majority of companies in Malta are SMEs, which means you have to be flexible in your role. Startup companies can be a good option if you prefer to stay and grow with them, as they are often concerned with retaining good talent and tend to make sure that their employees can have a healthy plan to grow without leaving the business. At Truevo, for example, if someone joins in one department but has a passion for another area of the business, we encourage exploration with the company.
One thing to keep in mind is that financial services are very much regulated, and that includes payments. This means that compliance, such as audit controls and governance controls by regulators, is a key factor that will be present wherever you decide to work.
How to succeed in the field of payments
Versatility is a key quality that predicts success in this field. Nowadays, it is not enough to follow the rules but to push the boundaries, be curious and collaborative. For example, at Truevo marketing helps HR with employer branding and the risk management specialist, like compliance, helps with data protection issues.
“We are always looking for versatility, the ability to work across different areas. Whenever we hire someone, we ensure they don’t simply have the technical skills, but can be trusted to work on their own, thinking outside the box, communicating skillfully with clients and colleagues and make decisions quickly ” notes Truevo HR Manager Sarah Brown.
Indeed, it is important to go beyond knowledge and facts. Those who succeed in the payments field are brilliant at synthesizing information, identifying meaning and value behind facts rather than simply stopping at what is obvious.
What opportunities exist at Truevo?
Our team members come from variety of backgrounds ranging from traditional banking, to accounting and IT security, just to name a few. By fostering a diversity of skills and personalities we believe it is possible to find a balance between innovation and security, technology and a personal touch. For the right person, we have the option to work flexible hours or even remotely.
Giovanna Arduino, Business Support Officer within our Malta office comments: “My role involves lots of communication with different departments and customers, so I am always learning something new and growing. Truevo management really cares for the employees. We can work with flexibility according to our needs, we have the opportunity to improve our career and there is always someone that listens to us and our needs and is ready to help us.”
If you join our team, you can work across these areas:
- Finance (Payouts, Management Accounts),
- ICT in our South Africa office (incorporating product, development, security, and infrastructure)
- Operations (Customer Support, Onboarding, Disputes)
- Risk (Underwriting, Monitoring, Legal and Compliance)
- Commercial (Business Development, Marketing, Partners Relationship Management).
See all of our opportunities on our Careers page!
