A Day in the Life of a Financial Crime Analyst

We're back with another Day in the Life, and this week we're looking at Ilya Gordienko. Find out more about his role as a Financial Crime Analyst below:

How long have you been with Wirex? 

I’ve been with Wirex for 3 and a half years. 

Why did you join Wirex? 

Compared to my previous experiences, Wirex seemed to me a reliable, constantly growing, and caring company. And I still believe so! 

What is your background? 

I’ve tried some jobs before, from a sales consultant to a bike mechanic, also worked as a translator for 2 years and even ran my own small business for a few months (not succeeded as you may assume 😊). None of those were crypto-related, but I already knew some basics, so was excited to give it a try. 

What is your job now and how long have you been doing this job? 

I’ve been a Financial Crime analyst for more than 2 years. 

When you left School or University what did you want to be when you grew up? 

At the University, I learned International Economics, so I saw myself somewhere in this area, but hoping it won’t be as boring as the studies were. And it seems that I’ve got really close to what I was looking for. 

What industry's does your job apply to? 

Every industry where transactions take place. 

What kind of education and/or training did your career require? 

I was never asked to provide any university/training certificates, but instead, I’ve learned a lot (if not everything) while working. I believe, experience is the best education and training. In addition to that, I’ve never had a chance to use that knowledge that I’ve got at the University, it doesn’t seem to be relevant nowadays, especially with the crypto industry. 

How do you become a Financial Crime Analyst? 

If you like investigations, your mindset is confident enough to take the responsibilities and you can explain it to yourself why money laundering is bad, then you have a potential 

What skills are required in your daily work? 

Attentiveness, confidence, ability to think consistently and perseverance 

Please describe a typical day of work: 

I start from reading the company/legion updates if any, replying in DM and channels if there’s something pending my attention. Then I make sure to complete my existing cases before proceeding to new ones from different internal sources. I’m also often assigned to some custom tasks. 

Do you mostly work alone or with others? 

I have a nice combination of both. There’re some tasks that don’t require someone else to be involved, but some others are impossible to do on my own. 

How has Wirex helped you get to develop your skills and career? 

I believe we have a motivational and constantly developing community here at Wirex, and I personally always feel I must comply. Also, I enjoy my role, so I grow together with my interests. 

What do you wish you would have known about your job before starting? 

Everything has happened in time and in order, and I don’t think there’s anything I should’ve known beforehand. Sometimes my work is challenging and rarely it can be tedious. If I knew this beforehand, who knows, maybe I’d have chosen some other occupation. But now I understand that these are just little things I wouldn’t even think about if I wasn’t asked this question. 😊 What is more important, my job is exciting most of the time. 

What would you like to tell someone who’s interested in applying for a Financial Crime Analyst position to know? 

Pay extra attention to details, don’t idle (applies to any job, not just this one) and always be ready to find out something new. We probably wouldn’t even need to develop if fraudsters didn’t. 

What Career progression is there in your role and/or Wirex? 

I’ve started as a Verification Specialist, which was a part of the Support Legion back in the day. 6 months later I moved to a Support Chat Representative, and in another 6 months I’ve got the opportunity to join the AML Team as it was called those days. The skills I’ve got during my 2 previous roles are still necessary and I use them, by the way. As for the future, I would stay in Compliance for sure, so let’s see where it brings me then 😊 

What do you love the most about your job at Wirex? 

Resolving complicated cases feels extremely exciting I have to say. Apart from that, I really appreciate it that the company cares about every one of us, and I always feel confident. 

How would you describe working at Wirex? 

Sometimes challenging, but always rewarding. 

If you could give one piece of career advice, what would it be? 

If you believe that this is your industry, then go ahead and become the best! (Well, this is just for the hype of course, you don’t really need to compete with your teammates, but I’m sure you’ve got the point 😊)