FCA insight week Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight week. It allowed me to see what it would be really like working at the FCA. For a person who didn't know much about what the FCA did or how they operated, the insight week allowed me to develop knowledge about the financial sector and if it would be a role that i would be well suited in.

I felt very valued when I was there. The people who organised the event were trying hard to make everyone feel welcome and engaged, and they I felt that they genuinely wanted us to succeed in life. I felt honored to be chosen, and they did not allow us to forget that we were there for a reason, to better our lives and our careers.

The insight was packed with guidance and support throughout the whole week. We were able to engage with current employees and graduates about their work life and how they handle it. We were given advice about the transition from university to work life and about moving to a large city to work. They also gave us advice about applying for jobs and the sort of skills and knowledge needed on your CV.

The skills I developed has taught me that I need to act now and not later. Meaning that if I have an aspiration in life I need to start working towards that goal now. For example we were told that we need specific grades to get a job at the FCA and other similar organisations, this has inspired me to work harder towards my degree to be able to do better and progress.

The insight was very well structured, we had a set schedule every day that we had to stick to. This meant that we were able to listen to all the speakers that were timetabled, we got to shadow graduates , we had time for presentation planning, enough time to ask questions afterwards and we even got out on time every day. The days were very packed with a lot going on but it was worth it.

The general atmosphere during the week was very nice. There were 26 of us during this insight week and everyone got along so well, there was no tension and it didn't feel like a competition between any of us. Everyone was encouraging each other to speak up and express their ideas. The ladies who took care of us during that week also made us all feel very welcome, they didn't allow anyone to be left out and tried to cater best to the needs of each individual.

The FCA invested a lot of time and money into the insight week, however seeing as this was just and insight week, there wasn't much in terms of personal training and development. To do this you would have to get on the summer internship or the graduate programme in which the thoroughly advised us to do.

Before the insight week I knew nothing about the FCA, but after I know the basis of how the business runs, what type of work they do and some of the cases that they have worked on in the past. During the work we were given the structure of the organisation and how it worked, and we had talks with so may employees from different departments explaining to us what they do and how their work is used within the organisation.

The insight made it very clear what the culture is like at the FCA. It allowed me to see a flexible and stable culture where employees could rely on their employer to support them and their needs whilst they do the same for the employer. The insight was very useful in this as company culture is a major factor for me when deciding on where I want to work.

During each day many different topics were discussed and this meant that by the end of the week I could decide which sectors I was interested in and which ones I wasn't. This was extremely useful as I have to choose my modules for my degree and after listening to the speakers I was able to know which topics I'm interested in and this allowed me to see which modules I should further develop my knowledge.

If you lived outside of London, the FCA reimbursed any transport expenses for getting to London and leaving London. Additionally, those not from London were given a paid hotel room to stay in during that week.

Yes we were able to network and meet employees of the firm. On one of the days we had a 'speed dating' session were employees from different sectors came in to talk to us about the work they do for the FCA and we were able to ask them questions in addition. We also had a chance to shadow some current graduates and ask them about the graduate scheme at the FCA and they're experiences working in the organisation.

The networking opportunities were well structured meaning that we spoke to employees from most (if not all) sectors of the organisation. The people we spoke to were very useful in terms of providing information about their jobs and the work they do. We were also able to ask questions ourselves and they answered them as best they could.

The FCA provides many opportunities to their employees outside of work such as volunteering, going into schools, helping local communities and more. In addition the organisation encourages their employees to bring forward ideas that they can get people involved in. Apart from the volunteering side of things the organisation also has sports teams and other social groups that people can get involved in, however we didn't go into too much detail on this topic.

Yes I would thoroughly recommend this insight to a friend. The insight was so useful to me personally, and helped me to gain the skills and knowledge I need to better my career in the future. Although the application process is competitive I would say that it is worth it once yo get there. I've made so many new friends from going to it, I've made new contacts and have gained so much more confidence within myself. It was truly an amazing week that I will never forget and would encourage everyone to apply for it.