CFA Institute APAC CareerCast

CareerCast returns to India this week where we enjoy an uplifting conversation with Harsha Upadhyaya, CFA, who is CIO at Kotak Asset Management. Rather than focus on the gloom of short-term news flow, Kotak points out that, despite its already vast size, India’s financial sector still has enormous growth potential. Of course, the career landscape is becoming more competitive, so he offers some smart tips on how to get a foot in the door. Kotak also explains how aspiring professionals can impress during an interview and cautions about the dangers of shoddy timekeeping.

Even if the ‘new normal’ is starting to feel almost routine, we can’t escape the fact that the job market is going to be somewhat different from the one we knew only a few months ago. To find out what companies will be paying close attention to when assessing candidates, CareerCast caught up with Fran Thompson, managing director of Pathfinder Talent, a Hong Kong-based search firm that specialises in the fintech sector. In this episode, Fran identifies the different types of fintech roles, pointing out that some are more disruptive than others. You will also learn about the vital skills needed to impress today’s hiring managers. What’s more, Fran offers some guidance on personality testing and how it can help you stand out in a field of equally qualified applicants.

These are certainly strange times, with the job market frozen and career progression on hold until firms gain more clarity on the future direction of the global economy. Amit Joshi, CFA, who is CIO at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance in India, looks past the current outlook and speaks on how aspiring industry professionals can take advantage of the current difficulties and prepare for better days ahead. Specifically, you will discover the best way to capture the attention of employers and learn why lockdowns can be useful from a learning-and-skills perspective.

With a growing number of industry professionals pursuing the CFA® Charter, the jobs market of the future will be increasingly competitive, as employers pick and choose from a deeper pool of highly qualified applicants. With this in mind, APAC CareerCast spoke with Rob Ramos, CFA who is Senior VP, Trust Officer, and CIO at East West Bank in Manilla to find out what makes a candidate stand out from the crowd in the Philippines, one of Asia’s fastest-expanding financial markets. Rob discusses how he identifies the strongest aspirants by focusing on a person’s willingness to learn, grow, and improve but also the interview mistakes that can derail any candidate.

We may still be in the eye of the Covid-19 storm, but the financial sector is quickly adapting to remodelled working practices. What does this new normal mean for graduates who may be considering a role in the industry. CareerCast speaks with Jason Ho, who is the global head of human resources at OCBC in Singapore. In particular, Jason tells us about the type of graduate his company is looking for, with a specific focus on the skills required to thrive in a post-Covid world. He also reveals how to be a star interviewee and explains why, despite having pitch-perfect qualifications, so many applicants fail to hurdle the first fence.

If you have a candidate or member account with CFA Institute you can find additional career resources at https://www.careercentre.me/u/lrf13x5r

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate both our domestic and working lives, CareerCast takes a closer look at how the outbreak is affecting attitudes towards recruitment. To this end, we caught up with Kanol Pal, CFA, who is a senior investment adviser at a major European bank in Singapore. He also runs a successful mentorship programme in conjunction with CFA Society Singapore. From our chat with Kanol, you will discover the vital importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing world. He also tells us what an ideal post-COVID job candidate should look like, with a particular focus on the skills he expects to see among applicants. The hiring landscape is undoubtedly going to be tough, but Kanol believes that with the right attitude and a willingness to learn there is still scope for young industry professionals to develop and succeed.

Our various working environments may be unusual at present but operating in isolation does not mean we should stop thinking about how to advance our careers. For this edition of CareerCast, we jumped on a call with Franki Chung, CFA, who is President of HKSFA and CIO of a global asset management firm. Franki originally trained to be an industrial engineer before switching to financial services, where has progressed from investment analysis to portfolio management before becoming a CIO. In this podcast, you will find out more about the different attributes these roles demand. It is also an opportunity to discover what he thinks the impact of Covid-19 will be on our industry and how vital it is to gather new skills and remain as flexible as possible to see through these challenging times.

CareerCast was delighted to receive a visit from Giles Boeree, who is the Regional Sales Director for Sanlam Global Investment Solutions. Giles came in to talk about business development manager in the financial industry. In this podcast, you will discover the personal characteristics and technical skills that are best suited to the role and how to make use of these in client approaches. It’s also an excellent chance to find out why he smiles during phone calls! Giles then touches on the attributes he looks for in a candidate seeking to pursue a career in business development – importantly, he explains why it pays not to oversell yourself during the interview process.

We remain in Hong Kong for this week’s edition of CareerCast, where we spend time with Ramiz Chelat, who is a portfolio manager at Vontobel Asset Management. During his career, Ramiz has transitioned from a broker-based role to one in the asset-management sector. If you are keen to find out more about buy-side and sell-side positions, Ramiz tells us what a typical day in the life is like for professionals in both of these streams. He also highlights the demands placed on employees. More specifically, Ramiz underlines the importance of clear and concise communication, regardless of where your working life takes you.

CareerCast returns to Hong Kong SAR this week, where we had an insightful chat with Nick Pollard, Managing Director of Asia Pacific at CFA Institute. Our conversation revolves around learning and personal development, why ascending the career ladder demands more than straightforward climbing skills, and whether there are alternative routes. With this in mind, Nick shares his thoughts on career ‘mistakes’, and how the brave among us can draw a line and pursue a more suitable path. After all, our customers are true to themselves and their values. We should learn to take the same approach.