Impact Investing + ESG (read time: 30 min)

Written By Second Day

So you want to work in Impact Investing or ESG?

The core thesis behind impact investing and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) work is that government and philanthropy cannot make lasting social change on their own. Impact investors believe that for-profit institutions can and should play a role in making the world a better place, rather than focusing exclusively on making money. Over the past decade, the interest in investing with a social impact focus has exploded—with the dollars and jobs associated with this field growing quickly. There are new impact investing and ESG initiatives launching all the time, addressing every imaginable social issue, location, and financial return. So whether you are passionate about a specific cause or just excited about the general opportunity to use private capital for social good, there are many opportunities to get involved.If this career path sounds exciting to you, this guide will take you through everything you need to know about working in impact investing or ESG careers. To inform our work, Second Day has spoken to experts in the field and gathered the best information out there for upcoming and recent graduates. First, the guide will take you through the different entry-level positions to look out for in this field. Then, we’ll provide tips on actually getting those jobs and building a career over time. We’ll finish with our next three steps: actionable items you can take to make progress towards finding your first job in impact investing. Let’s get started!

This guide was written by Phil Dearing in partnership with the Second Day team.

Many thanks to experts in the field who supported this work:

  • Amelia De Paola, Growth Equity Associate, Malk Partners

  • Neha Kukreja, ESG Investing, Neuberger Berman

  • Jesse Meltz, Associate, Bain Capital Double Impact

  • Annie Olszewski, Director of Programs, Impact Capital Managers

  • Caroline Yarbrough, Syndications and Strategy Officer, Calvert Impact Capital

Where to begin? Understanding impact investing and ESG

This guide covers impact investing and ESG together because they are interrelated. However, it is important to start by clearly laying out the definitions of each of these terms. We’ll also briefly mention a new phrase here, “socially responsible investing,” to cover the full spectrum of mission-oriented investment.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING (SRI) focuses on avoiding investments that conflict with an investor’s ethical or moral values. This often means avoiding companies that make their money through things like alcohol, tobacco, weapons, fossil-fuel extraction, or gambling. SRI investments are usually standard fund managers that avoid certain categories of investments. While it is the simplest investment approach, Second Day has focused less on SRI in this guide due to its passivity. We think avoiding harm is a great thing, but seeking out a positive social impact is even better!

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (ESG)

focuses on engaging with companies to operate in a more socially responsible way, using three specific categories. These are the three criteria that are most commonly analyzed when trying to understand the “positive and negative” factors of how a company operates:

  • Environmental criteria may include a company’s energy use, waste, pollution, natural resource conservation, and treatment of animals.

  • Social criteria are focused on the people involved in the work. Are workers paid well and treated fairly? Do they work with supply chain partners that are aligned with their values? Is the organization inclusive of a diverse range of backgrounds for its employees?

  • Governance criteria address how the organization is run. Are they aligned with governance best practices with accounting, shareholders, etc? Are they involved in undue political influence or illegal practices? Is the organizational board and leadership inclusive and effective?

As part of these three broad categories, there are numerous sub-categories that an ESG team might analyze, including: data privacy and security, ethics and compliance, anti-bribery and corruption, supply chain practices, diversity equity and inclusion, discrimination and harassment, labor conditions, sustainability branding and greenwashing, product safety, and many others.

At its core, ESG investing is focused on the “how” of a company’s operations, rather than the “what.” Importantly, it is possible that a non-impact focused company scores well on ESG criteria. For example, a tobacco company could be technically more ESG-aligned than its peers, if it pays its workers above industry standards, is working to reduce carbon emissions, and has relatively better board diversity. Or a technology company that isn’t focused on social good in its mission could still adopt ESG practices. The theory behind ESG measurement and investing is that we can change the world for the better by understanding the positive and negative impacts of each organization.

IMPACT INVESTING: This form of investing is focused on creating a positive social and/or environmental impact from investing private capital into organizations that are building a product or service with an intentional impact focus.

Whereas ESG is focused on a company’s operations, impact investing is focusing on each company’s core activities. Impact investors typically report on not just the financial returns from their investments, but also the social impact that was generated from their investment (e.g., reduction in carbon footprint, number of high-quality jobs, access to affordable higher education, etc.). Impact investors are typically focused on a specific cause or set of causes that they invest in, such as the environment, health, or education. There are thousands of impact investors with different investment theses, so it can be helpful to look around on Impact Space to get a sense of the types of funds that are out there. Whether you are interested in gender equity, racial equity, global development, or another cause, there is likely an impact fund aligned with your interests.

A later section of this guide will delve into more of the nuances of different types of investors and their differences, but this next section is focused on career opportunities across values-based investing. In this next section, we will talk through opportunities in ESG analysis and impact measurement, investing for impact, and field-building.

ESG analysis and impact measurement careers

ESG overview

It is incredibly complicated to understand the ESG impact and risk factors for a large organization. Pretend for a minute that you are trying to figure out the environmental footprint of an organization like General Motors. You’d have to think about the sourcing materials used in creating cars across dozens of countries and different products, while also looking at how those products are used in the real world. Organizations focused on ESG analysis and impact measurement build expertise in this type of work. They work to identify material ESG factors, benchmark them against competitors, and identify areas to add value. If the idea of interpreting corporate reports, tracking down news sources, and analyzing data is exciting, then this could be a great role for you! At a high level, you can break down ESG analysis roles into three main categories: in-house analysts, ESG consultants, and AI-driven tech solutions.



IN-HOUSE ANALYSTS work for large organizations or investors (e.g., large asset managers). For example, you might work for Google or Nike to understand the ESG impact of your organization and look for opportunities to be a more socially responsible company. The influence and scope of the ESG team at a company varies widely—sometimes they are put into a corner with little influence on the decisions of the organization while other times their reports are closely tracked by executives at the company. Some ESG teams are focused mostly on data collection while others are working to actively improve the impact of the organization. Because of this range, the name of the team and the roles will vary depending on the scope and focus, but most large companies have some sort of internal team focused on this work. For larger banks or investors, there will be an in-house team both looking at its own operations and evaluating those of current or future investments. Some large banks building out teams include BlackRock, the Carlyle Group, and AllianceBernstein.



ESG CONSULTANTS do similar analyses for large investors or companies. They help investors screen out companies with negative impacts or identify areas where the investor could improve the impact of the organization. ESG consultants are typically involved during the due diligence phase, when a big firm is considering investing in a company, but they can also be involved in benchmarking or other research. A number of organizations focused on ESG specifically exist in the US, but many large consulting firms are also working to increase their capacity to do this type of work. Some of the consultants with the largest focus on ESG work include Malk Partners, KKS Advisors, Advisian, and KPMG.



AI-DRIVEN TECH SOLUTIONS are rapidly growing across the field. These companies, such as Sustainalytics or Metric ESG, work to make it easier for teams to measure and evaluate the ESG factors of companies. These organizations typically work with asset managers and pension funds who incorporate ESG and corporate governance information and assessments into their investment processes or with companies to help them consider sustainability in policies, practices and capital projects. If you are interested in the intersection of investing, technology, and social good, this could be a great area to get involved in.

Getting the job in ESG

Many ESG Analyst roles, particularly at ESG consulting firms, are attainable for a graduating senior with relevant experience, making this a great place to start if you are excited about responsible investing. In general, these organizations hire on a more rolling or as-needed basis, rather than the aggressively early timelines of traditional consulting or investment banking. Some organizations offer internships over the summer, while others don’t have formal internship programs but might be open to a current student pitching their own internship there.

In terms of the application process, organizations typically look for a strong interest in the ESG field and a fairly nuanced understanding of how this field works (we have recommended reading in a section below to get you up to speed). While extensive experience in finance isn’t required, comfort with quantitative analysis and reading corporate reports is quite helpful. You should highlight any research, internship, or club experience that focused on analyzing data, synthesizing information, or other work related to the role. The interview process will typically consist of a few rounds of interviews, including a work sample testing your writing and critical thinking skills and perhaps a quantitative exercise as well.

Many job descriptions list that they want 1-3 years of prior work experience, particularly for in-house teams. For some organizations, that is absolutely necessary. For others, relevant prior internship or research experience can help meet that requirement.

For all of this, networking can be incredibly helpful to understand what requirements are actually necessary and to have someone flag your resume to get a first-round interview.

While larger organizations will post their roles publicly, some roles at smaller ESG firms or in-house teams are never posted. Therefore, we recommend gathering a list of potential firms that you’d want to work for and reaching out to someone on the team to learn more about hiring timelines and potential entry-level openings.

ESG by the numbers (pay and hours)

Entry-level ESG Analyst positions are some of the best paid entry-level social impact roles. Depending on the organization and location, the pay can range from $50K to $90K, with a typical entry-level role paying between $65K and $80K. The work can be fairly intense since it involves analysis and compiling reports for clients or other stakeholders on tight timelines. While you will likely work around 50 hours per week on average, there are busy times and less busy times. You will often be expected to turn things around quickly. Upward mobility within these firms is often possible, but because so many organizations in this space are growing and changing quickly, the exact promotion pathways aren’t always clear. A common path after this work is shifting to other organizations in this ecosystem, pursuing a graduate degree (typically either an MBA or issue-area specific masters), or working directly on a social issue that you care about.

Impact investing careers

Impact investing overview

Impact investing refers to making investments in companies with the intent to create social and/or environmental value. Impact investors range quite widely in their scope and job requirements vary depending on the type of investor—whether it is with a private equity impact investing fund, a national foundation, or a nonprofit CDFI (See ‘building up expertise’ section below for more detail). Broadly, the types of roles break down into two categories: investor and non-investor.

Investor roles usually require a couple of years of experience working with financial investments, typically in consulting or banking. On the other hand, some non-investor roles can be attainable for graduating seniors.

INVESTING ROLES generally focus on sourcing potential new deals, conducting due diligence on whether the organization should invest, and providing ongoing support to organizations that you have invested in. As an entry-level employee, most of your focus will be on conducting due diligence and supporting portfolio organizations, since more senior leaders typically are charged with sourcing new deals and sitting on corporate boards. The “due diligence process” can include talking to experts in the field to understand trends, looking at company data to understand their financials, and creating potential impact models to determine what the social impact of that organization could be in the future. When evaluating impact, some organizations evaluate whether an organization meets a threshold to qualify as an impact deal at all, while others quantify the potential impact return in a similar way to how they quantify the potential financial return.

NON-INVESTING ROLES are focused on the tasks that keep an organization running beyond the investments themselves. These roles include impact measurement and reporting, data analysis, communications, operations, research, or back-end finance roles. A role that is unique to the investing industry is investor relations—managing the investors that trust you to invest their money. These groups, often called “partners” or “limited partners,” have specific expectations for financial and impact returns, and so the investor relations team is in charge of keeping them updated so that they consider investing in future funds that your organization sets up. While much of the impact investing world is focused on investor roles, non-investor positions can be a great way to contribute to a cause that you care about, whether it is racial equity, education, global development, or something else.

Getting the job in impact investing

INVESTOR ROLES typically require two core competencies: an ability to assess the potential financial return of an investment and the ability to assess the potential impact of an investment. Impact investing roles are incredibly competitive to get, and so differentiating yourself is critical.

  • If you hope to pivot from consulting or banking to impact investing, most applicants will have a strong understanding of the financial aspect of deals including how to analyze a balance sheet, how to create financial projections, and how to present findings to senior leaders. What can differentiate you if you come from consulting or banking is to build up an expertise on social issues and to familiarize yourself with common impact measurement methodologies (e.g., IMP Framework). Whether that means volunteering, reading about different social impact organizations, or getting involved in social enterprises, this is an area where you can stand out from the crowd.

  • Some people also pivot into impact investing from an issue-area expertise perspective. Many impact investors need people on their team that deeply understand the nuances of impact on a social issue and a network to identify new potential investments. This expertise typically requires longer than a few years of working in the space, and so this is a common mid-career pivot. If you plan to come to impact investing as a subject matter expert, you can stand out by building up your comfort with finance through investing-adjacent work, starting your own company, or getting an MBA.

Hiring timelines range widely depending on the type of impact investing organization. Some private equity firms or hedge funds will recruit for impact roles 12-18 months in advance. Many other impact investing organizations hire on tighter timelines, expecting the candidate to start soon after getting an offer. Interview processes typically involve a range of work samples and conversations to ensure that your interests and expertise align with what the firm needs.


NON-INVESTOR ROLES are more attainable for graduating seniors, but the process and qualifications vary by role. For communications, operations, or finance roles, you generally need to have some sort of experience with the skill sets that will be required for the job. Second Day’s nonprofit role guide has details on the day-to-day of these roles and how to position yourself effectively. The guidelines outlined for nonprofit roles largely apply here, with the pay and hours likely both a bit higher.

Impact investing by the numbers (pay and hours)

Pay for investing roles will vary depending on the type of organization you are at and the returns you are seeking. At the low-end, investing roles will typically be around $70K, but can range quite a bit higher if you get a profit-share from your organization’s investment. Hours can be quite long, including significant night and weekend work at firms with a traditional finance-driven culture. For more mission-driven investors, working hours can be much more reasonable. Some firms require extensive travel, but most times entry-level analysts will work in the office while more senior leaders travel to meet with investors, current portfolio companies, and potential new companies to invest in.

Pay for non-investing roles is lower, but still generous for the social impact space. Entry-level roles will typically range from $50K-$70K, with room for that number to grow significantly if you stay at the organization. Hours are generally more of a typical 9-6 workday, with occasional busy times to get significant projects out the door.

BONUS! Don't forget about nonprofit or government impact investors

While much of this guide has focused on for-profit investors, there are a number of nonprofit investors that deploy capital with a primary focus on social impact. Foundations have increasingly gotten involved in Program Related Investments and Mission Related Investments, where they use a portion of their endowment to make investments or loans, typically with below-market-rate returns expected. Large national foundations like the Ford Foundation are involved in this work, as are many local community foundations like the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Another key nonprofit impact investor is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). These organizations invest in things like affordable housing, microlending, nonprofit loans, or economic development projects. While many of these funds generate a positive financial return, their primary purpose is social impact. For more information on CDFIs, the Opportunity Finance Network has a good overview and links to CDFIs across the country.

Beyond these two stakeholders, there are also a range of nonprofits that engage in international investing. Organizations like Acumen, Accion, Root Capital, and Endeavor are doing impressive work to grow businesses around the world and advance global development. There are also a group of Venture Philanthropists that use the terms “investing” and “support,” but who focus on grants as their main investment vehicle. Examples of these include Draper Richards Kaplan, New Profit, and Venture Philanthropy Partners.

Finally, governments at both the federal and local levels use return-seeking investments to focus on social causes. For example, the US International Development Finance Corporation invests in projects around the world that can reduce poverty and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. State governments have also developed funds like Green Banks to prioritize the growth of clean energy technologies. Many governments have economic development funds and work to build results-based financing initiatives as well.

Not all of these organizations have entry-level roles, but many of them do! Use this guide as a jumping-off point, but we recommend talking to people working in your specific area of interest to better understand what specific opportunities may exist.

Field building

Field building overview

Value-based investing has exploded over the past decade, more than doubling in size. Almost every investor and financial institution is examining its practices and thinking about what they should be doing in the future. This rapid change can make the field more confusing to navigate as you launch your career, but it also provides a tremendous opportunity to shape the future direction of the field. This section will talk through two types of organizations with potential career opportunities: information hubs and ecosystem initiatives. Information hubs are organizations like the GIIN and ICM that partner with a wide range of partners, trying to build consensus around key concepts and advance investors of all types forward. Ecosystem initiatives are organizations that are working in the world of values-based investing, often trying to advance a particular agenda or capability.

  • INFORMATION HUBS are often at the center of the action of the values-based investing industry. They host conferences, do critical research, and post jobs for organizations across the industry. They’ll often provide training and work towards creating standard terms or frameworks for the industry to align on. Here is a list of field-building organizations in impact investing to get you started. Another major player in this world is ImpactAlpha, a publication that covers all of the trends and news in values-based investing.

  • ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVES are often focused on influencing impact investors rather than (or in addition to) investing themselves. For example, Illumen Capital trains investors on how to minimize their bias. Metric is developing software to make ESG tracking easier for investors. Alter Global places fellows in fast-growing social enterprises. Agora runs an accelerator program for start-ups in Latin America. While most think tanks haven’t been focusing on impact investing, it is likely that think tanks may play a growing role in supporting the impact investing space in the coming years. For example, the SEC launched a taskforce in the spring of 2021 focused on climate and ESG issues. These ecosystem initiatives are focused on a vast range of efforts and may overlap with some of the other categories mentioned above, but their commonality is that they are often trying to advance, professionalize, and support the broad field of impact investing. Many of these ecosystem initiatives are smaller and operate like startups, with roles requiring wearing many different hats.

Getting the job in field building

At field-building organizations, there are opportunities to be involved in original research, organizing events, or recruiting funds to join up in your efforts as an organization. First and foremost, it is critical that you can demonstrate an ability to do whatever your specific role would be at a field-building organization, whether that is social media, research, or development. Beyond that, a strong interest and knowledge of value-based investing is quite helpful for you to enjoy and excel at your job. Many of these field-building organizations are actually incorporated as nonprofits, so Second Day’s role-based guides are relevant and helpful here as well.

For ecosystem initiatives that operate like start-ups, specific roles and responsibilities may be blurred as the team is rapidly growing and changing. Roles will rarely be posted publicly at smaller start-ups, and it is challenging to even find a comprehensive list of these organizations.  Therefore, the best way to learn about emerging organizations and potential roles within them is to talk to people in the field. For more details on the typical job process for startups, check out our social enterprise guide here.

Field building by the numbers (pay and hours)

Pay and hours at field-building organizations vary a lot depending on the work and the organization. Nonprofit membership organizations will typically operate more like a well-financed nonprofit, with roles paying between $40K-$70K. Jobs at ecosystem initiatives have salaries based on competitors and skillsets required. If the jobs are recruiting people that could otherwise be making $150K in an investing role, then the startup will likely try to pay something comparable. But if the job is a research role benchmarked against other research roles that might pay $40K-$50K, then that would be a likely salary range at the entry level. Similarly, hours vary widely depending on your role and the organization. In general, working at smaller and growing organizations will have more variable hours, while working at more established organizations will center on a typical work week.

Different career path options

Exit opportunities

We have included ESG, Impact Investing, and Field Building roles together in this guide because there is a high degree of overlap across these categories. The broader field is rapidly growing and changing, and it is common for individuals to shift between different types of roles throughout their careers. The exit opportunities from your first role will generally be determined by whether you want to be on the investing side or not.

If you want to work on the investing side of this industry, it is typical to start in a traditional finance career path. You can pursue investment banking or work at a consulting firm that does due diligence for private equity firms for a few years before pivoting into impact. If you aren’t committed to working on the investment side of the industry, you can start your career in a non-investing role. If you want to work on the investing side down the line, it is likely you will need to get an MBA in order to pivot. If you are focused on the impact side of the work, the non-investing roles are an excellent place to get your foot in the door.

If you are more interested in impact measurement or field building, there are numerous career paths out of these roles. Many people will work in impact investing and then shift to field-building roles. Others spend their whole career involved in research and advocacy, never actually investing themselves. No matter which route you choose, this is a dynamic field with lots of opportunities to get involved!

Building up expertise

A common thread across this work is that you need to know your stuff. Being on top of what’s “new” in the space and “who’s who” is critical to finding, securing, and succeeding in your career. This is still a relatively small and insular space, where everyone knows everyone and having a network matters immensely. If you want to launch a career in this space, it’ll be on you to talk to people, read the news, and immerse yourself in this world. But if you are just starting out, we’ve distilled some of the biggest concepts and distinctions below to help you get up the learning curve more quickly!

DIFFERENT RATES OF RETURN AND APPROACH TO IMPACT

One way to think about impact investing is to look at the expected financial return and the approach to impact. In terms of expected financial returns, some funds expect to make as much money as they would have without thinking about impact. Others are less worried about making a strong financial return and are most focused on impact. This chart from the Rockefeller Foundation is quite helpful to understanding this spectrum.

Another important dimension by which investors vary is by their approach to impact. When the field was first emerging, a lot of the focus on impact was passive: avoiding investing in bad things like tobacco and looking to invest in good things like clean energy technology. Over time though, funds have emerged with more sophisticated approaches to measuring their social impact. This chart from Bridgespan’s impact investing overview provides a sense of where different stakeholders fit based on their approach to impact and expected financial return.

DIFFERENT THEORIES OF IMPACT

This field is broad, so it includes both organizations that have a very genuine and clear focus on doing good in the world alongside organizations that are primarily focused on using impact investing’s tools and terms to improve their brand. This spectrum of approaches can be a good thing because it enables more types of investors to get involved in this type of work. At the same time, it can also be difficult to determine if you or your organization is truly having a positive impact in the world. Each fund has a different theory behind why their work is impactful, but it generally comes from one of these angles:

  • Increase access to capital for impactful organizations: A common impact thesis involves getting more money to companies focused on social impact. The impact here is very clear for investors willing to take below-market returns. These funders are critical to supporting social enterprises that cannot promise market-rate returns or whose business model hasn’t been proven yet (for example, an affordable housing developer or a maternal health services enterprise). For investors seeking full market-rate returns, some argue that they are still increasing access to capital and the valuation for companies that are focused on having a social impact. If these trends catch on, it could hurt the valuations of organizations that are involved in poor ESG practices.

  • Highlight or encourage particular impact areas: Some funders try to support the development of more robust markets for specific types of founders or in specific causes. Funders with a gender equity lens or racial equity lens try to address the current system where capital flows disproportionately to white male founders on the coasts. Others focus on specific issue areas or regions in the world that may have been neglected by existing investors (e.g., sustainable agriculture, enterprises in Southeast Asia, etc.) While this theory of impact is similar to increasing access to capital, it goes a step further in trying to create a market for organizations and founders that might not have taken the plunge otherwise. It is also worth noting that some investors using a gender or racial lens invest in companies also focused on impact in the work that they do, while others invest in traditional for-profit companies and use the impact term to refer to their equity focus.

  • Make the operations of companies more impactful: A common thesis across market-rate returns is that impact-focused investors can help increase the impact of that company by influencing the board and executive leadership of the organization. This can look like shaping oil and gas companies to focus more on renewable energy or encouraging consumer goods companies to more critically evaluate their supply chains. This can also include linking management compensation to not just financial outcomes, but also impact outcomes.

If you are interested in thinking more deeply about where impact investing can have an impact and where the impact might be lacking, we recommend reading “Unpacking the impact in impact investing” from SSIR or Impact, by Sir Ronald Cohen. Individuals advocating for funds focused on market-rate returns will point you to this chart from UNPRI based on a 2018 GIIN survey, showing just how much more money is available for funds seeking higher returns.

DOMESTIC VS INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

There are thousands of value-based investors focused on companies in the US and thousands focused on companies around the globe. In general, a lot of the terms and tools that they use are the same, but the relative cultures and skillsets can be different. In particular, if you have an interest in global development and impact investing, it is important to build up cultural fluency outside of the US. For more details on building a career focused on international development, check out Second Day’s international development career guide.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF INVESTORS

The culture and working environment vary dramatically between different actors in this space. While this guide has alluded to several different types of investors, it is helpful to layout the range of different groups that are involved in impact investing:

  • Venture Capital and Private Equity investors generally focus on investing in private companies with an impact. Venture capital generally refers to investing in smaller organizations in their earlier stages while private equity generally refers to investing in larger organizations or ones that are ready to grow out a proven model. These teams are generally fairly small since the largest impact funds here are $1B-$2B.

  • Banks and diversified financial institutions generally have much larger funds and pools of money. They will run ESG funds and other large funds focused on impact, including sometimes investing in impact-focused private equity funds. Their teams are generally the largest in this space but aren’t always exclusively focused on impact investments.

  • Nonprofits and foundations are primarily focused on impact, but sometimes have investing arms focused on generating a return. They are generally small teams that partner with organizations across the sector.

  • Development finance institutions use investment arms to make their funding go further and achieve social impact while recouping their capital. These institutions can be fairly large, but there aren’t that many of them.

  • Individual investors and family offices focus on wealth management primarily but sometimes include a focus on impact as well. These teams are incredibly small and exclusive but have a lot of flexibility in what they invest in.

  • Pension funds and insurance companies manage huge amounts of money and are increasingly thinking about impact as an element of their portfolio approach. Working here is primarily focused on ensuring that the fund performs well, but there are some opportunities for mobilizing money towards positive social impact.

FURTHER READING

If you are excited to dive into this field more, here are a few places to get you started:

  • KPMG glossary of terms. If a bunch of the terms used in this guide were unfamiliar, it might be helpful to read this glossary and then give the guide another read! Mission Investors also has a good glossary to reference.

  • Impact Alpha is generally the go-to source for news on what is happening in the industry. It does require a paid subscription, but your school might offer access or they might offer discounts to students. If you are very set on getting into this industry, it is likely worth paying for access for at least a few months to get up to speed on everything happening.

  • The Impact Investing Guide website has a bunch of tools, resources, and links if you are looking to build a career in this space. It also has some helpful videos on effective networking!

  • The GIIN is the largest field-building organization and regularly publishes reports on what is happening in the industry. It also has several good overview documents to get you started.

  • Impact Capital Managers has a range of resources, events, and programming for young professionals interested in impact investing careers. They have a really robust network of member organizations collaborating to improve the sector.

  • The UNPRI website is a hub of information globally and the UN’s sustainable development goals are very commonly cited and so are worth familiarizing yourself with

Next three steps

  1. Get up to speed on the field using the resources in this guide and figure out which elements are most exciting to you.

  2. Start building up the right skills and credentials needed to execute on the career path that is most exciting to you

  3. Get out there and talk to people! Try to have conversations with people in the field at least 6 months before you actually hope to start a role so that you can establish a strong relationship and understand which organizations might be hiring in the future

Last updated: July 2021

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