Can you switch to BFSI while still working your current job, and how do you manage the training?

Yes — you can switch to BFSI without resigning first. Most people who move into banking, NBFC, or insurance roles from a different industry do it in parallel: they keep their current salary coming in, train during evenings and weekends, clear whatever certification or screening the target role needs, and only hand in their resignation once they have a written offer. Done this way, the switch usually takes somewhere between two and four months, depending on how consistent you are with the prep.

Why doing it in parallel beats quitting first

Quitting before you have an offer puts pressure on you to accept the first BFSI job that comes along, even if the pay or role isn't right. Training while employed removes that pressure — you can be selective about which bank, NBFC, or insurer you target, and you walk into interviews with financial stability instead of urgency written all over your resume. Recruiters notice the difference between a candidate who sounds desperate and one who sounds like they're making a deliberate career move.

How to actually manage the training

• Block fixed hours, not "whenever I'm free." Two hours on weeknights and a longer weekend session work far better than trying to squeeze in study time randomly.
• Pick a structured program over scattered videos and random PDFs. A fixed syllabus and schedule — like the banking courses in Chennai built specifically for working professionals — keeps you from losing weeks to topics that don't map to what recruiters actually test.
• Tell your current manager only what you need to. You don't need to announce a job switch; just protect your evenings and avoid taking on new projects that eat into your prep time.
• Use your commute and lunch breaks for revision, not fresh learning. New concepts need focus; revision doesn't.

What the timeline realistically looks like

Most career switchers spend the first three to four weeks on foundational concepts — basic banking products, KYC/AML basics, retail lending, or insurance fundamentals depending on the track. The next few weeks go into interview-specific prep: mock interviews, resume repositioning, and practicing how to explain your non-BFSI background as a strength, since customer handling, sales targets, and process discipline all transfer well. Applications and interviews typically start around week six, once you can speak confidently about the basics.

Mistakes to avoid

The biggest one is trying to learn everything before applying anywhere. You don't need to be an expert before your first interview — you need to be competent enough to not freeze up, and coachable enough that the interviewer believes you'll pick up the rest on the job. The second mistake is studying BFSI concepts in isolation, without any locally relevant BFSI training in Chennai — generic content doesn't prepare you for how Chennai's banking and NBFC recruiters actually interview.

If you're switching while employed, a structured, time-boxed program matters more than it does for a fresher — you don't have unlimited hours to experiment. The AKROS banking and finance professional program is built around exactly this: a fixed 60-day structure that working professionals can follow alongside their current job, so you walk into interviews ready instead of half-prepared.