Katy Hutchinson, Portfolio Analyst, Davy

What does your job involve?

On the portfolio construction team we construct investment portfolios for our clients. This process uses various tools, such as bonds and property for example. We then monitor these properties on a daily basis, for risk and performance.

What are important skills to have?

Analytical skills are key, so if you’re strong at mathematics, it puts you at an advantage. It’s also very important that you can explain complex information to clients and colleagues in a straightforward and understandable way.

What experiences helped build your skills?

From a very young age I’ve always been involved in the Irish pony club, when I was 17 or 18 I did some further training and was then able to teach and manage within the club, which was a great experience. I think experiences like that really help you develop a strong grounding in self-awareness in terms of what you’re good at and where your strengths lie.

What’s the best thing about your job?

What I love about working in Davy is its very much merit based from day-one, so you feel very much part of the team from the start. The teams are close-knit and we all work together as a group, so although the work is demanding we do enjoy working together. There are also amazing promotion opportunities and it’s great to see people who came in as graduates and who are now in senior positions. It’s a very fast-paced environment.

What advice would you have for students interested in a career in finance?

For a graduate looking at this sector, I would definitely recommend they get some workplace experience and look at alternative degrees to finance too. Employers value economics, engineering and law degrees, for example, as they bring something new to the table.