Webinar: Here's how to get started in your impact investment career

As more investors are attracted to contributing to global development, job opportunities in impact investing are growing. Many professionals working in this space have experience in other sectors which they then leveraged to transition and support the missions of NGOs, startups and finance institutions. In this Devex webinar, impact professionals talk about how they came to work in this space and share tips for others looking to get started in their impact investing career. Here at three key takeaways from the event. Highlight transferable skills There’s a lot of opportunities in the impact investing space, said Priyanka Rao, principal at FHI Ventures, so identify where you want to play a role — whether it’s raising money, building partnerships, or measuring impact. If you have a finance background, leverage your functional skills in the space or learn some key skills that will allow you to understand, vet, and support the growth of companies, Rao advised. Beyond finance, there are a lot of different functional areas, so talk to as many people as you can in the field to figure out the gaps in your skillset and what you need to address, she continued. Startups operating within the social impact space offer many different entry points and functional roles too, said Maureen Klovers, director of Social Impact MPOWER Financing. “As with any career transition, build on what you’ve already done,” she said, adding that just because other experience is not labelled as impact-related work does not mean it’s not relevant. Highlight experience in data collection and analysis; program and project management; communication and PR, she advised. Strong skills in relationship building are also key for those looking to work in investor-facing roles. “Show how you are that connector person who can bring the right people to the table and move things forward,” said Klovers. Talk about how you’ve built relationships, achieved results, and measured outcomes, even if it wasn’t something impact related, she explained. “Figure out what’s important to them [the organization] and figure out how to tell that story and to really, really articulate your passion for the mission,” she concluded. Keep up with trends and funding Alex Evangelides, senior investment manager at FINCA Ventures, encouraged those interested in the sector to take time to think about the different segments and regions which impact investors focus on. Put together a list of the firms that do the types of work you are interested and reach out to them directly or monitor their site and social media for job postings, he advised. For individuals looking to work for a social enterprise or a startup, Evangelides recommended keeping an eye on funding and when companies raise capital. This usually coincides with hiring and can indicate when to start reaching out for positions, he explained. Keep up with trends happening in the field, Rao also advised. She recommended utilizing sources such as Impactalpha and the Global Impact Investing Network to find job opportunities and keep a pulse on the market. Connect with others in the space All three speakers emphasized the importance of connecting with those already operating in the impact space. Industry conferences, such as SOCAP, can be a great way to learn from and meet with these professionals. Finding someone attending from a specific company and meeting them for a coffee chat is definitely the best thing to do, Klovers said. Evangelides agreed, stating that there is no substitute for getting to know people in the space. Many impact investing firms hire on an ad hoc basis, so the best thing you can do is get to know the people that can flag opportunities and provide you with referrals, he explained. ”It really is about doing the groundwork to get to know people in the space and meeting with them and having coffees with them, and building networks,” he explained.