News from Asia and the Pacific

IMF Joins Int’l Financial Institutions to Introduce Career Opportunities in Tokyo

Dec. 19, 2019, Tokyo, Japan – Along with representatives of seven other international financial institutions, the director of the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP) appeared today at a career forum held at the International Christian University to introduce various career opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

OAP Director Chikahisa Sumi explained that the IMF is a specialized institution with more than half of the staff serving as economists who monitor member countries’ economic situations on a daily basis. Its traditional entry point is the Economist Program for PhD holders in macroeconomics under the age of 34. The Fund is also open to mid-career economists who have extensive professional experience as an economist, a policy-maker or a practitioner in finance ministries, central banks, think tanks or other relevant areas.

“You are encouraged to build your career in the area you are passionate about. It is critical to have a specialty,” said Sumi, encouraging the audience to study hard at school to meet the required qualifications as entry is highly competitive.

The career forum was an initiative of the university, which started offering new programs this year to foster global financial professionals and international public servants. In addition to the IMF, the World Bank Group and regional development banks such as the Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development participated in the forum to introduce their career opportunities for specialists. They said that most of their institutions hire mid-career professionals who have 10 years or more of experience in specialized areas, preferably having worked overseas, and who have a strong command of English.

About 80 students from both undergraduate and graduate courses attended the forum, and many of them visited the booths of the various organizations to discuss further about career opportunities, career paths and career preparations. “Thank you so much for having this opportunity to discuss how my major and interests match with the IMF and other financial institutions. This helps me to think how to prepare myself for the future,” said a student who visited the IMF booth.