Women in Fund Management Insight Day Review

The day was very enjoyable- a good mix of hands-on activities whilst also sitting through a range of informative talks. In particular there was lots of opportunity to ask questions to various different people- from people fresh on the grad scheme to people from higher up in the company. The relaxed and informal atmosphere also made the day very pleasant overall.

The people hosting the insight day were all very welcoming and the atmosphere was very relaxed so I felt very comfortable for duration of the day. It was a relatively small group (40 odd people) on the insight day so we were really able to each make the most of the experience and didn't have to feel embarrassed or annoying if we asked lots of questions

The people working on the day were extremely open to us asking them a range of questions about the company and their role in the company. In particular there were lots and lots question and answer sessions- for the Q&A panel at the end of the day we were struggling to think of questions because we'd already spoken to so many people during the networking lunch that.

The employability/skills presentation was particularly useful on knowing what to expect when applying for internships/ the grad scheme at M&G. However obviously because of the time limit of one day it was difficult to have the chance to actually develop the skills they described. Nonetheless the speed networking lunch was a good opportunity to practice talking to a range of professionals in the field.

Very well structured- they stuck to the timetable perfectly yet not in such a way that it felt rushed at any point or they were trying to pad out time for the sake of it. If anything the trading exercises sometimes felt a bit pushed for time but because of the nature of the game I know all the teams could have easily spent hours analysing each of the stocks.

Despite how long the day was the general atmosphere was fun and upbeat- again I think the trading exercise being slotted between talks and presentations was a good idea as it livened us all up and made sure we didn't get fidgety/bored between talks. Furthermore it was very relaxed and friendly which made the day more enjoyable also.

Again as mentioned before, it was only 1 insight day so the extend to which they could have "invested" is limited. Despite this they made a big effort to make sure we were happy with how the day was going and all our questions were being answered. For example with the trading exercises in particular they were happy to talk to us on an individual basis if we struggled to understand how different aspects of the activity worked.

The fact there was such a range of employees there to talk to on the day gave a good insight into the various different roles and jobs available with M&G. Again the speed networking lunch allowed us to converse with a range of people and we were given ample opportunities to ask the questions we needed to ensure we have a good insight and understanding into what a full time role with the firm would entail.

One part of the insight day that particularly stood out was how much all the employees spoke about the company culture of M&G. They all seemed genuinely content with the hours, the work life balance and the career progression of the company. Furthermore, the fact some of them had had roles/internships in different companies allowed them to compare the company culture at M&G to other similar companies from first hand experience.

It was useful as it gave me an insight into the various roles and potential jobs that working for M&G could offer. However, as with most sectors, there is such a wide range of available jobs that it wasn't enough to be covered in simply one day. Therefore whilst I feel I have a better understanding of fund management, the exact career path within investment management I could potentially be interested in I am still unsure about.

Again as it was just an insight day I was not expecting to be reimbursed for any expenses, nor paid. If anything the free lunch and snacks were a pleasant surprise as I was expecting to have to buy my own lunch from a nearby café or the firm's canteen.

A long lunch break was timetabled into the day and was mixed with "speed networking" where we had an informal buffet style lunch and various grad students and employees were around in the room for us to talk to. There were also informal panel discussions and Q&A sessions that allowed us to meet different employees.

For such a short time spent at the company it felt like the organisers had put a lot of thought into ensuring the speed networking lunch would be beneficial to those of us at the event. There was a wide range of employees there to talk to who all seemed more than happy to talk to us and answer our questions

Yes, though the details of a particular volunteering programme offered was only mentioned briefly during a presentation. However again we had so many Q&A sessions that if anyone was particularly interested in finding out about the activities employees could get involved in outside of work there was ample opportunity to ask about it.

Yes- as someone who had no prior knowledge into what M&G did or even what investment management actually meant I learnt a lot from just the one day I spent there so would particularly recommend this to people who are interested in finance but don't have any experience or detailed prior knowledge.