Student: Joanna Kong
Degree: B.Commerce/B.Arts at University of Sydney
Mentor: Anita Costa, Portfolio Manager, IFM Investors
Stream: Investment Management
Investment management interests me because it is uniquely dynamic day-to-day, yet grounded in meaningful long-term responsibility. Through conversations with my mentor Anita and my previous internship at Tattarang, I have realised that there is always more to learn, and I am excited by that intellectual challenge. In particular, being able to understand different businesses and then allocate capital toward decisions that can potentially shape the future of an industry shows how tangible investment management actually is, and means that no two projects are the same. I think these aspects together make it a fulfilling career path with real opportunity to make a positive impact.
I am currently curious about how data and software are reshaping offline industries in Australia. An example of this in practice is Woolworths using data from its 14 million Everyday Rewards members to not only personalise promotions, but also to strengthen customer loyalty and achieve sustainable higher margins. I am particularly interested in how large this impact actually is when it is quantified.
I prepared for the conversation by researching Anita’s firm and background, and then brainstorming topics and questions I had. I grouped these into three categories: investment management in general, Anita’s career path, and my own career, and noted a few specific questions in each so that I could make the most of my time.
The conversation went really well, and it felt like a two-way discussion rather than a formal chat. My biggest takeaway was Anita’s point that no role or experience is ever a waste of time, because the learnings can be applied later on. This made me feel more confident and secure about exploring what I want – not just in my career, but also in being more adventurous in life more broadly.
The Career Connect platform makes mentoring easy. I had three online sessions and one face-to-face meeting with Joanna. The questions provided were great for prompting discussion, but ultimately it was about her exploring which area of finance she wanted to start in. Joanna was very self-motivated, and the whole experience was rewarding and fun. - Anita Costa
My advice to other mentees using the platform would be to drive the conversation towards a clear next step. I found it really helpful to finish each meeting with a specific action for next time, whether that is reading a certain news articles or identifying case competitions to participate in.
I will definitely continue to use Career Connect to meet and learn from other mentors. I would love to learn more about alternative asset classes such as private equity and venture capital because I want to learn about how investors think about value creation when they are directly involved in strategy.
I have really enjoyed my work experiences thusfar, and would love to pursue a career in finance. In the day-to-day, I want to be the person that people can rely on at work and trust to stay calm under pressure, and inspire others to approach problems similarly methodically. Over the course of my career, I hope to grow into a mentor who inspires and supports younger people to pursue careers that they are truly passionate about, and to be a visible example for other young people and women considering a path in finance.
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My biggest takeaway was Anita’s point that no role or experience is ever a waste of time, because the learnings can be applied later on. This made me feel more confident about exploring what I want in my career, and in life more broadly.