Building a Career in Finance Across Three Languages - Urmi Hossain

Today I sit down with Urmi Hossain who grew up in Italy to Bengali parents, studied in England for a year, then moved to Montreal at 19 where she embarked in a career in finance.

We talk about the very practical challenge of arriving in Montreal knowing French from school, only to discover that Quebecois is really quite different.

She explains how she deliberately worked to master it, not just for everyday life but to be able to do a job interview and eventually have a career in finance, working with languages in a predominantly French-speaking environment. Because while people in Montreal are very open to both English and French in an everyday life environment, she knew early on that professionally she needed to be fluent in Quebecois.

Key Takeaways:

• Moving abroad with an open mind: Urmi embraced learning Quebecois and a different way to grow professionally, with lifelong learning, continuous professional development (CPD) and job hopping as a way to advance her career - a very different approach than in Italy.
• Reaching out for help and support: from engaging a friend to practice speaking French to finding mentors along the way, she is at ease asking for support from people.
• Opening up conversations: with her podcast Stories Beyond Borders she share stories of people like her who grew up multilingual, multicultural and moved countries at various points in their lives. And in her YouTube channel she also gives advice on learning languages, passing finance exams and more.

About Urmi Hossain

Urmi Hossain is a self-published author, speaker, podcast host and finance professional based in Canada. She holds the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) designations and works in the financial services industry, while using her platform to advocate for women’s empowerment, identity, and self-leadership.

Urmi is the host of Stories Beyond Borders, a podcast that amplifies diverse voices and stories on identity, migration, language, and what “home” truly means. Her work centers on helping individuals - especially women - embrace their lived experiences as strengths rather than limitations.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/urmihossain/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@urmihossain
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesbeyondborderspodcast/

About Sonia Kampshoff

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life. In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithlanguages
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniakampshoff/
• Website: https://moreperfect.digital/

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