Insight Day Attendee Review

The insight day was an absolute eye-opener. Besides providing a thoughtful insight into the world of investment management, the event allowed me to meet and interact with like-minded students from across the country. I was of the opinion that 9 out of 10 people working in the finance sector are unhappy and discontent with their job, but, interaction with M&G's senior employees and Graduate Placements shattered this opinion. I was surprised to find out that most people I talked with were genuinely happy with their job. They were more than willing to answer every doubt and query I raised. All-in-all, the insight day was a great experience, and I would definitely recommend my juniors, in the coming years, to attend it.

First up, I was late for the event, because of a delay in the train I boarded. However, the staff at M&G were really supportive and patiently told me about what had transpired hitherto I arrived. That unexpected gesture set the baritone for the rest of the event. During lunch, I had the opportunity to interact with the organisation's senior staff and recent graduate scheme employees. While the senior employees of M&G gave me thoughtful insights into the future of investment management and the finance industry in general, the recent graduates told me about how they were enjoying their time at M&G, how their day at office is spent, how to maintain a work-life balance, amongst the various other questions I raised. It was a no-brainer for me to understand that the employees in the organisation were happy and valued. I'm saying this because their contentment rubbed-off on me!

Prior to the event, I had a lot of doubts regarding the working of the industry. I had the opportunity to clear these doubts at the event. The staff at M&G provided me guidance on every topic I raised in conversations with them. The interview techniques presentation kept me glued to the screen throughout. Julian Hince's Speech on Investment Management was my personal favourite. Apart from talking about Investment Management, he also stressed upon the importance of following your passion, being happy, all of which truly made sense and kept me hooked throughout.

The skills I developed at M&G's insights day, I believe, will certainly benefit me in the long run. The trading exercises allowed me to understand the dynamics of trading shocks and how the indexes and markets vary from time-to-time. Working in a team, where conflicting opinions existed, further upped the ante. Teamwork was definitely stressed upon. The speed networking and lunch allowed me to acquaint myself with some really bright students, who I would like to stay in touch with in the long run. Overall, it definitely made me grow as a person and I would like to capitalise upon the lessons I learnt at M&G to progress my career.

The insight day was definitely well-structured with the timely breaks. Every intense trading exercise and thought-provoking speech was followed up by a break, where I had the opportunity to discuss the proceedings of the event with my fellow attendees. In a span of less than 8 Hours, we learnt the dynamics of market trading, investment management, interview techniques, made friends, met fellow attendees from Italy, Malaysia! It really takes meticulous planning to fit various elements, as such, in a day's event and would like to thank the organising committee for allowing me to be a part of it.

The atmosphere in the event was brimming with positive vibes. In all honesty, this was perhaps the first insight day, in a financial company, were I felt that most of the employees around me were happy! As the old adage goes 'When you are with happy people, you are happy'. This positive feeling allowed me to imbibe the event's happenings with full involvement. It made me realise that when you are happy at work, life becomes a situation of 'all play and no work'. That is the sort of work environment I envision to be in and feel privileged to have been a part of M&G's 2017 Insight Day.

The company definitely has invested a lot of time and effort into putting forth an event of such caliber. Senior members and graduates from various divisions took part in the event and gave us valuable advice and insights. Every staff in the organisation took the initiative to make the attendees comfortable and welcome. Knowledge on subjects of great importance, like interviews, were imparted. Overall, as a student and prospective employee of the organisation in the future, I definitely would love to be part of an organisation, like M&G, that values my opinions and takes the initiative to illuminate my growth trajectory.

Interaction with the recent graduates addressed this particular concern of student attendees. They gave us a peek into what their day-to-day life at work is, how they got into the company from work, how to maintain a work-life balance, etc. Apart from this, senior members of the organisation also stressed upon how the work environment at M&G is accomodative and comforting. From my interactions, I realised that this is a place where one can evolve as a person.

The content was meticulously tailored for the attendees to gain a comprehensive understanding of what M&G does. Until attending M&G, I hadn't considered a career in investment and fund management, but, the event definitely has sparked a interest in me and I would like to further explore the industry for a potential career in it.

I definitely don't regret spending my money on the event.

Yes, there were opportunities for networking and meeting employees of the company. From senior management employees of the various sectors to the recent graduates, we had the opportunity to interact with people from various walks of the organisation. The meaningful conversations definitely set me thinking and to quote a cliche, it was amazing"

Yes, most employees were being encouraged by the company to pursue extra professional degrees that would enable them to progress in their profession. The organisation also has a teaching arm that aims at cultivating advanced financial knowledge in its employees. Also, most employees at work were happy with their co-workers and told us that they often hang out with each other during weekends.