Graduate Q&A – Kaitlin Priestley

Growing up in a regional town, my exposure to the world of finance was limited. I’ve always had an interest in the global economy and financial markets, but never thought to turn my fascination into a career. It wasn’t until I moved to Brisbane to begin my studies in Biomedical Science, that I discovered the numerous and diverse pathways a degree in Finance could take me on. Digging deeper, I found that the industry itself was well aligned with my personal values and desired work culture. I was able to use logical thinking and problem-solving skills daily, while working across diverse projects with a hardworking and motivated team. Ultimately, I saw Finance as an industry that would test me and provide opportunity to never stops learning.

It’s widely understood that Finance is a very competitive industry, so when it comes to getting an edge over the competition, work experience is necessary. However, completing work experience is a two-way street. Yes, it shows prospective employers that you are motivated to develop yourself and learn new things, but more importantly it provides an insight into the industries demands, expectations and workplace culture.

The key learning outcome I took from my work experience and carried with me throughout graduate interviews, is that you can quickly determine if you’re a good fit for a firm, simply based on your initial interactions with current employees and the other candidates shortlisted in group interviews. This finding proved very useful when it came to selecting my graduate role with Pinnacle. Everyone I interacted with at my group assessment day, was professional, approachable, and clearly intelligent – all characteristics of a team I hoped to work with.

In the Finance team at Pinnacle, no day is the same. I am essentially working under Pinnacles’ CFO, to provide a range of financial services to our boutique fund managers. I am responsible for two fund managers’ financial reporting (overseen by my Manager). This includes; monthly cash flow, balance sheet and P&L forecasting, the preparation of annual budgets and monthly financial reports. This is particularly interesting when the fund Manager you oversee lands a new mandate client or launches a new fund.

I have very few routine daily tasks (which comprise of evaluating Pinnacle’s portfolio position at market close and responding to emails). I am also sporadically assigned ad hoc projects directly from my CFO or COO, which could be related to Board Reporting or creating new and more efficient processes for the greater business.

Although in recent years there has been a push to attract more women to finance, it’s no secret that this industry is still very male dominated. However, in my experience, working predominantly with men, hasn’t been a major challenge. I have found that, as long as you’re approachable, work hard and do your job well, it is very easy to get along well with your team, irrespective of gender.

Fortunately, Pinnacle and its affiliate fund managers are dedicated to attracting more females into the industry and have undertaken a number of initiatives to help achieve this.