FinArchives

1. In plain English, please describe your role and function

I work in operational risk management at a firm that publishes credit ratings and provides research, analytics and software to financial institutions and capital markets.  My role is to help the organization build frameworks, metrics, and reporting that give leadership a clear view of operational risk exposure, control effectiveness, and trends over time.  In practice, that means I work with business and control teams to identify where things could go wrong, assess the level of risk, and make sure we have the right controls, reporting, and escalation in place. 

2. On average, how is your time divided across quantitative work (e.g., financial analysis), qualitative work (research and writing), presentations (to investors, management, etc), and other tasks? Please describe what falls into ‘other.’”

On average, my time is split as follows:
    •    30% quantitative work (building dashboards and assessment tools, collection and review of metrics)
    •    40% qualitative work (documentation, research into best practices and standards)
    •    30% presentations to management and stakeholders

3. Where did you attend college and what was your major/minor? Did you participate in any clubs in school or internships that you believe helped you decide what you wanted to pursue as your career?

I studied at the University of Melbourne, completing a double degree in a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Information Systems with a major in Finance and Economics. While at university, I held several part‑time roles, including at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), which helped solidify my decision to pursue a career in financial services. In my penultimate year, I also completed an internship at Deloitte, which was a highly formative experience and gave me meaningful exposure to the professional services environment.

4. Do you have a graduate degree, and if so, what type? In your industry, is a graduate degree typically required or preferred for advancement, and do most professionals in your field have one?

I do not hold a graduate degree.  However, many of my peers in the industry often pursue a graduate degree in law or business administration.

5. What about certifications like as a chartered financial analyst, certified public accountant, or other similar certifications? Are they required or preferred for advancement, and do most professionals in your field have one?

I am a Certified Practicing Accountant member of CPA Australia.  Although not strictly required, most professionals in my field will have attained a professional designation of some sort e.g., Financial Risk Manager (FRM), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) etc.

6. What did you wish you had known in college that would have made your transition into the working world smoother?

I wish I had understood earlier just how different the workplace is from university — especially that one's impact depends as much on seeking feedback and managing stakeholders as it does on doing good individual work.  If I had appreciated that sooner, I would have prioritized asking better questions, building relationships, and getting comfortable with not having all the answers from day one.

7. How will the rising prominence of artificial intelligence (“AI”) impact your job and entry level jobs in your industry?

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AI is changing my role in two main ways. First, it augments the day-to-day work: AI tools can scan incidents, KRIs, logs, and unstructured data to flag anomalies and emerging risks much faster than manual review, which means I spend less time on data gathering and more on interpretation, challenge, and decision support. Second, as AI is embedded into operations and controls, it becomes a new source of operational risk, so my remit now includes helping inventory and assess AI use cases, ensuring they’re captured in our risk and control frameworks, and working with stakeholders to set guardrails and monitor incidents related to AI-enabled processes.

AI will automate a lot of the classic “entry‑level” work in operational risk (data collection, basic analysis, standard reporting), so we will require fewer people to do that work. But rather than displacing junior roles entirely, AI will redefine them—shifting the focus from generating raw analysis to validating, contextualizing, and escalating AI-driven insights.  Entry‑level analysts will spend more time stress‑testing what the model is saying, investigating anomalies, and making sure outputs make sense. “Human in the loop” will always be necessary!

8. What skills or qualities do you look for when hiring for an entry job level candidate?

I look for people who have a strong work ethic, are genuinely curious, and aren’t afraid to ask questions when they don’t understand something. I value candidates who show a willingness to learn, can take feedback constructively, and demonstrate basic professionalism and reliability.