What employers want from a candidate in sustainable investing
Employers want to hire people who understand the ins and outs of the roles they’ll take on. Here’s some advice on putting your best foot forward when applying for a job in sustainable investing.
When hiring for roles in sustainable investing, many employers are looking for candidates with a solid understanding of the topic along with the endurance to play the long game.
“You have to show me your passion because it’s not an easy job. It’s a long-term battle,” said Jimmy Jim, Managing Executive Officer & Head of Global Markets, ICBC Asia.
Jim described sustainability knowledge as now “interwoven” throughout the investment process. “If you want a job in this, you have to be able to tell me the nitty-gritty about it,” he added. “I need people to enlighten me about this.”
That knowledge can be picked up in a variety of ways, from pursuing professional certifications to keeping a keen eye on the news, according to Jim and several other speakers at the CFA Institute Global Career Week 2025.
William Reynolds, Senior Investment Associate, Fire Capital Management, offered the following advice to anyone trying to enter the industry: “Build a habit around learning more about what’s happening in the world. It will fuel deeper conversations and move you further ahead amongst your peer group.”
Retaining that edge requires constant effort, noted Pailin Rojrattanachai, Assistant Vice President, Sustainable Investment, the Stock Exchange of Thailand. “This field is constantly evolving – new regulations, emerging sustainability frameworks and shifting investor expectations. To keep up with the pace of change, you need to stay curious and willing to learn new things, because what’s relevant today may change tomorrow.”
Apart from staying on top of sustainable investing trends covered in the media, podcasts and newsletters, it’s also worth reflecting on how broader financial, macroeconomic or geopolitical developments might impact sustainability initiatives.
As Tim Chan, Executive Director, CFA Society Hong Kong, explained: “Because ESG is an interdisciplinary topic and theme, very often when you want to identify the ESG impact of a particular issue, you need to look into the second or third order impact.”
“You could challenge yourself to do this every day,” said Chan, by thinking through the broader implications on sustainability of any piece of major news. “That will benefit you a lot as an ESG or sustainable finance professional.”
Original thinkers wanted
A big reason why sustainability knowledge is often so highly appreciated is that the field is still not universally understood.
According to Stephanie Potter, former Director, Sustainable Private Markets, S&P Global, “So many times I’ve been in a room where investors are learning [for the first time] about climate science concepts in the investing context. It needs folks who are entrepreneurial, who are thinking outside of various silos, and who have a good domain knowledge of all the various components of sustainable investing, from transition to stewardship efforts to carbon markets.”
There’s one skill in particular that Potter thinks is necessary when analyzing and uncovering sustainable investing opportunities: creativity.
“A lot of companies and renewables might not be covered by ESG data providers, especially in small-cap and private markets, or even spin-outs from parent companies,” she explained. Moreover, given that ESG data is often backward-looking and sometimes provided with a lag of up to two years, it’s not always possible to rely on third-party data. “So, as an analyst, you need to come up with creative ways to measure and make assumptions about a company in the absence of data.”
She added: “You need to ask yourself: ‘does this company look like other companies I know? What are the sustainability risks that might overlap with the industry or the region?’”
Hardik Shah, Head, Sustainable Investment, DSP Asset Managers, also warned against relying too heavily on ratings in determining how well a company is doing on ESG issues. “Don’t get lost in numbers,” he said. “It’s a starting point. But when you’re doing your research, you need to go on the ground.”
He added: “A company could be really well resourced and basically tick all the boxes to get a great ESG rating, but at the ground level you might not see as much impact happening.”
Fueling success
Cultivating sustainability knowledge is not just the key to landing a career in sustainable investing, but it is increasingly critical to thriving in the investment industry more broadly because ESG considerations are now integral to the investment process.
Delving deeper into any field tends to spark an interest in it – along with a desire to learn even more. That self-reinforcing dynamic could set the stage for a fruitful career. As Reynolds put it: “Success will follow, because your genuine commitment to learning and excellence will just shine through.”
You may also be interested in
26 Jun 2025
Behind the allure of a private market career
10 Jun 2025
Human skills you need for a career in finance
16 May 2025
How to support your loved one during exams
Explore our programs and certificates
CFA Institute offers a diverse range of programs and certificates designed to meet the needs of finance professionals across various career stages and specializations.
