Thank you for the Duff & Phelps tip.
I don’t think that anyone should think that they are stuck at the age of 30. I left a 12+ year engineering career in my mid-30’s to pursue grad school, and now I am trying for CFA Lvl 2. All along the path that you aspire to, there’ll be some folks who seem to have whipped by you while you were standing still, while there are also many others trailing behind you who have yet to venture out from the straight-jacket of their existence to pursue a dream…any dream.
If you want to use your TP work as a stepping stone, be looking to move when the economy is on the rise. It’s depressing for many to think long term like that, but if you use your next 2 years to become knowledgeable in the skills & in the software, build a contacts network, etc. in the field that you’d like to move into, you are best positioned to make your move when the supply in that field is low and the demand is high. You’ll also be best positioned if you are not a greenie to the skills that are required for a transaction services role.