Decoding Career as an Investment and Risk Professional

This article is authored by Ms. Deepika Shenolikar

Amidst global financial crisis 2008-09 and now current pandemic COVID-19, unforeseen uncertainty loomed and this impacted the Investment Industry with accelerating transformations.

The pandemic certainly exposes challenging opportunities and vulnerabilities which need to be studied and addressed in its due course. As you might have noticed, as the pandemic reshapes the business profiles and investment banks across the world, the demand for rigorous professionals is on the rise.

While the world is busy grappling with the new reality of working remotely, have you evaluated yourself against any of your short-term or long-term career goals? This should ideally be done by recognizing and meeting the future career trends. If you think you know about your career goals with relative certainty, now is the time to push yourself further to embark the journey in the direction of your goals, especially if you are a finance enthusiast.

For Investment Professionals They say “Invest Early, Invest Regularly!”

To understand the Investment World better, one should understand the logic behind the following:

How Financial Markets really work? – here comes the technical know-how of the market, trends, and any recent developments.

How to get better returns on the Investments? – the Strategic Approach.

What different investment avenues are currently available in the market? – the Product Knowledge.

What are the key risks and relevant return in the investments? – the Risk and Return Rationale.

It is a profession where you would be having fun navigating through challenges coming though market volatility, volume spikes and demand for services. It calls for focused studies and strategic approach in building Investment Professionals. As an Investment Professional, you will be helping clients make sound investment decisions, advising about securities tailored to their needs. Also, you would be creating an investment strategy to benefit the clients, companies, or others ultimately.

Investment Banking Industry broadly encompasses:

• Asset Management
• Portfolio Management
• Risk Management
• Equity Research
• Mutual Funds
• Hedge Funds
• Investment Consulting
• Financial Reporting & Analysis
• Valuations
• Mergers & Acquisitions

Globally recognized CFA by CFA Institute, FRM by GARP gives you the edge for all this through demonstrative experience, ethics and professional standards. CFA Charter and FRM are the most recognized professional qualifications in finance and risk management domain in the world. The program is designed to provide you with in-demand industry knowledge, hands on practice, and confidence that will help you stand out among competitors and also help you develop the skill-set to become a world-class Investment Professional.

If you have an appetite for comprehensive learning while networking with professionals across the industry, stand out in the crowd, then you should opt for such professional programs. Ultimately, continuing professional growth is the key to success.

This is my take on the global Certification programs given the current circumstances.

Key Recommendations

When it comes to learning about investing world, the Internet is a definite source and a convenient way to navigate for Reference Books which I would strongly recommend along with the resources available out there:

Investment Banking for Dummies – Excellent introductory work in the field of investment banking that adopts an easy-to-understand approach while describing fundamental banking concepts and their application in the real world.

Rich Dad Poor Dad (1997) – This book centers around the lessons rich folks teach their kids about money, Robert Kiyosaki stresses the importance of financial education and starting at a young age to build wealth through investing in assets.

I believe that by reading such classic Investment Books, one can gain valuable insights and can develop a mind set for the investing world. Hands-down these are one of the best beginner guides for investment banking that cover almost everything from its definition to core concepts and practices, making them invaluable additions to the collection of every professional for acquiring a broad-based understanding of this subject.

More About Deepika – Deepika Shenolikar is CFA (ICFAI) and Risk Professional. She believes in continual professional growth and her primary interest lies in analyzing investments, learning nuances of financial markets. For any queries or follow-ups, you can connect with her through LinkedIn: Deepika Shenolikar on LinkedIn.