LaunchPAD
Informing, inspiring and enabling female university students to pursue a career in investment management
Discover the world of investment management
We’re passionate about inspiring and enabling future female investors. Through education, mentoring, and events, we help you gain industry insights, build skills and make connections to launch an investing career.
Explore all you need to know about starting a career in investment management, from the key players in the industry to the essential skills and various pathways that lead to this dynamic and rewarding profession.
Dive into the world of professional investing by listening to our podcast, and reading real-life investor stories, profiles, case studies, and expert articles that provide a behind-the-scenes look at the life of an investor.
Join our Top Talent Group to connect with seasoned investors and build practical skills through our Mentoring Circles, or get involved in our annual Investment Competition for hands-on experience and opportunities.
Investment management is a great career path for women
Despite Australia’s thriving $4 trillion investment management sector, many of our most talented female university students don’t consider professional investing as a career option. A lack of awareness about the industry and few opportunities for female graduates to get a foot in the door have limited female participation. Until now.
Investment management is a hugely influential and rewarding career path for women. Studies consistently show women make great investors, often out-performing their male counterparts. Many firms have realised team culture changes for the better when there’s gender diversity around the table, and are actively seeking female talent to join their front-office investing teams.
As a woman, there has never been a better time to pursue a career in investment management.
As the profession is relatively small in terms of people and employee turnover is low, it’s important to be proactive about gaining exposure, contacts and experience. Future IM/Pact programs and events are designed to help talented young women crack into this industry through meaningful insights, connections and opportunities.
The Future IM/Pact Mentoring Circles program exceeded my expectations. I’ve become increasingly committed to a career in investment management.
Essential skills for budding investors
Investors solve complex problems in an unpredictable and rapidly changing environment. That means you need to be highly analytical and intuitive. You need to be able to see the big picture and immerse yourself in detail. Determination, grit and humility will set you apart.
Investment teams are looking for high achieving candidates, so getting top marks at uni is a must. Here are a few other standout qualities:
- Strong analytical skills – analysing and interpreting financial data to make well-informed decisions
- Risk management – understanding how to identify risks and balance rewards to maximise returns
- Communication skills – concise and confident communication is key to building stakeholder relationships and trust
- Confidence and conviction – the ability to back yourself and your ideas, with the humility to admit when you’re wrong
- Flexibility and adaptability – agility and quick thinking to respond to the ever-changing market conditions
- Ethics and integrity – forget Wolf of Wall St! Integrity is essential for an investment manager
The Investment Challenge allowed us to take that step forward and really challenge ourselves to do something that's well beyond what we've learned at university.
Participation in the mentoring circle was very rewarding and huge fun. The young women came with open intelligent minds, eager to participate and share in a wide range of topic areas.
