First Year Insight Participant Review

Business leaders offered insights into different parts of M&G, the recruitment process and their personal journeys. A trading exercise was organised, which was interactive and allowed us to think critically and discuss among ourselves. It was a good introduction to the investment management industry and the culture of M&G on the whole.

Both the HR and the business leaders who shared with us their experiences during networking sessions were very friendly. The programme was also well-organised. I felt all participants were valued highly in the programme.

We received a lot of guidance regarding the recruitment process at M&G. There was also adequate support given in that we learnt a lot from current and recent graduates in panel discussions and speed networking sessions. I feel that more support could be given to us if possible during the trading exercise (for example having some business experts to guide us through the process of asset allocation).

I gained a basic understanding of the investment management industry, the investment and portfolio management strategies of equities, video interview techniques and important skills that employers expect throughout the recruitment process. This has helped me build up an understanding of asset management, as well as acquire soft skills.

It was structured well in that we gained insights into different parts of the business, including marketing, investments and commercial roles. Each of the sessions was of the right length and interactive activities like trading exercises were spread out through the day, which made it an easy structure to follow for participants.

Everyone was pretty engaged, especially in the Q&A sessions. During the trading exercises, we actively discussed strategies, which made the atmosphere exciting and also allowed everyone to learn a lot.

It interests me in that I learn about the many opportunities available within the firm. Internal mobility is high, and graduates have also mentioned that during their schemes, they could complete the Investment Management Certificate and the CFA along the way. The company is strong in dedicating resources to foster the personal development of employees.

I learnt about what tasks employees involve themselves in throughout their sharing. Their description is detailed and understandable for students like me, who do not have a specialised technical understanding. I think it would be even better if we could visit some of the workplaces (office floors) of the employees to see their work in action if this is possible.

It did help me understand the culture in M&G in that employees are very open in sharing what they liked about M&G's culture, compared to their previous employers or other firms.

We were introduced to the different schemes (internship/ graduate) available for students in different departments. This did help us to decide which roles we may be interested in if we would like to go into investment management. It would be even better if M&G could give us insights into whether a role in investment management, or in for example banking, suits us more.

There were speed networking sessions during lunch and after the whole program, when HR staff answered questions we had about the recruitment process.

The networking/ social element was strong in that there were breaks in between different sessions, and during trading games, we could also socialise effectively with our teammates, which come from various backgrounds.

Yes. I learnt about networks about sports/ music/ diversity/ volunteering that employees could get involved in outside of work during the networking sessions.

Sure. I would recommend this to a friend because it does provide a great insight into the investment management industry and the roles within it. This is particularly helpful for first year students exploring their career options.