When 23 year-old Anne Younis was growing up, family dinner table conversations revolved around finance and economics, so a double degree in Applied Finance and Economics was a natural choice.
“My father studied property economics and my mother was an economics teacher so I always knew I wanted to go into finance. Then I took HSC economics and absolutely loved it,” Anne says.
Anne enrolled at Macquarie through the Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme, which allows Year 12 students to secure an early placement.
“The Scheme assesses students on their Year 11 results and extra-curricular activities during Year 11 and 12 that demonstrate leadership, personal development, service and community engagement and other key attributes,” says Maria Souris, Executive Director of Domestic Student Recruitment at Macquarie.
“When applicants receive their early offer, they can go on to sit their HSC exams with the relief of already having a spot in the degree of their choice and can just focus on achieving their best.”
Students who are accepted through the Leaders and Achievers scheme are also encouraged to enrol in Macquarie’s award-winning Global Leadership Program (GLP). The GLP, a co-curricular program recognised by employers, gives students a global mindset and a competitive edge when they graduate. Anne undertook the GLP course over three years while completing her degree.
“The GLP had some really interesting career workshops and discussions. I also volunteered through the program, learned how to interview well and how to write a good resume,” Anne says.
Investing in her future
Anne’s participation in the Global Leadership Program also helped her land a three-month internship at Morgan Stanley.
“My internship at Morgan Stanley was a great experience. I had the opportunity to work across different wealth management teams, rotating every two weeks. I worked with financial advisers and was able to sit in on client meetings,” Anne says.
“I also did a project on responsible investing and worked with the product and platforms team, which really gave me that breadth of experience across the business. To get that experience and learn about the landscape of wealth management was invaluable.”
After completing her internship, Anne enrolled in the one-year graduate program at Morgan Stanley, where once again she worked across several different departments.
“I did rotations with research, sales, marketing, operations, and wealth management. After that year, I made the decision to go permanently into research. I was lucky enough that there was a role available, and now work in the wealth management research team,” Anne says.
Kim Luu is Head of Campus Recruitment at Morgan Stanley Australia. When hiring graduates, she says she looks for well-rounded candidates with a keen interest in finance, and adds that much can be taught on the job.
“Anne demonstrates the qualities of a team player. She is proactive, has great communication skills, a fantastic attitude, and is always keen to learn and evolve,” Kim says.
“There are plenty of opportunities here at Morgan Stanley whether it is across teams, across divisions, or international mobility opportunities.”
Anne says that because her experience during the internship and graduate program was so varied and gave her exposure to the different options available to her, it allowed her to hone in on what she really wanted to do.
“I love working in research. I'm a generalist in my team, so I get such a breadth of exposure, and might eventually follow a career pathway to becoming a financial advisor. I'm still exploring my options, I'm young and I've got plenty of time,” Anne says.
My Macquarie Life
Degree: Bachelor of Applied Finance and Bachelor of Economics. Graduated 2023.
My job: Investment Analyst at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Three ways MQ supported me to be job-ready:
1. Collaborating with others. “I learned a lot of soft skills through the Global Leadership Program and from working on campus. I learned how to collaborate effectively and navigate different people and opinions.”
2. Practical skills. “I did two Professional and Community Engagement program (PACE) units, and that practical project work really prepared me for some of the things I do day-to-day now, especially when it comes to managing big projects and priorities.”
3. Career guidance. “I used the Careers and Student Employment hub to learn how to write a resume and prepare for an interview. I learned about Morgan Stanley’s Women in Banking scholarship program through the career hub, which led to that internship, which led to part-time work and the graduate program, which then led to my current role.
How I apply what I learned at Macquarie in the workplace:
“Throughout my degree I was encouraged to use Excel and I made it a project of mine to get really good at it. In my role at Morgan Stanley, I use Excel spreadsheets on a daily basis so being proficient makes a huge difference. Also just learning the terminology used in the financial world was really helpful.”
Advice to prospective students:
“Don't be afraid to be busy and social - you only get out of university what you put in. Join the societies, apply for jobs, and speak to the person who sits next to you in class. In my first year I struck up a conversation with another student who I vaguely knew through some friends, and we did our whole degree together and now work for the same company. That's an invaluable connection to have.”
Find out more about Morgan Stanley's Summer Internship Program
Penultimate year students who have an interest in finance are encouraged to apply for Morgan Stanley’s Summer Internship Program which is open from March 2025 onwards. For more information on Morgan Stanley’s student and graduate opportunities visit their website here.
