Key Takeaways:
- A career in financial services can begin with many different educational and professional backgrounds.
- Sustainability-focused Investing is strengthened by knowledge in research, communication, policy, sustainability topics, and strategy.
- Changing career paths can help people find where their interests and experience fit best.
Many people are surprised to learn that a career in financial services does not have to start with a finance degree.
Sarah Adams, Co-founder and Chief Sustainability Officer at Vert Asset Management, studied history before finding her way into finance. Her career later expanded into environmental policy, sustainability, advocacy, and sustainable investing.
Her path reminds us that the financial services industry benefits from more than strong math skills.
Finance Needs Different Perspectives
Finance loves specialists. For years, that meant fairly clear lines between jobs and functions. Those lines are starting to blur as technology reshapes the work and employees look for careers with more flexibility, variety and opportunities to learn across disciplines
Environmental, social, and governance issues touch nearly every part of business. Understanding them requires people who can analyze numbers, as well as those who understand policy, research, communication, human behavior, sustainability, and strategy.
Investment management still needs financial analysts and portfolio managers. It also needs advisors, researchers, sustainability specialists, educators, and communicators.
Teams benefit from people who bring different interests, experiences, and skills.
Your Career Path Can Divert
Sarah’s career did not follow a straight line. She worked in institutional finance, policy and advocacy, consulting, and entrepreneurship before she co-founded Vert.
Changing direction helped her discover parts of the industry that best fit her interests and experience.
For anyone considering a career in financial services, sustainable investing offers opportunities at the intersection of finance, business, people, and the environment.
So if you’re considering a career in financial services, don’t assume your interests outside finance are a distraction. In many cases, they can add valuable perspective to the work you do.
Want to dig deeper?
Interested in learning more about Vert, sustainable investing, or careers that bring different disciplines into financial services? Contact us with your questions.
Vert Asset Management is a registered investment adviser focusing on sustainable real estate investment that helps financial advisors build resilient, future-ready portfolios. We connect institutional-quality investments with the long-term goals of clients, focusing on both financial soundness and sustainability.
Investors should consult their investment professional prior to making an investment decision.
