Women in Fund Management insight day Review

Very enjoyable as I learnt lots about investment management and how it differs from investment banking. There were many opportunities to ask questions which was also helpful. In particular, I enjoyed the trading exercises which required us to work in teams using the news as a basis for making investment decisions.

For the majority of the time the atmosphere within the company was very welcoming and inclusive. Especially during the speed networking lunch most people were very friendly and easy to talk to. I would say that it was harder to talk to some more than others- but I think that is just reflective of different personality types.

Lots of support. It was very easy to ask questions and clarify points which weren't clear. Equally I don't think that people felt afraid to ask a 'basic' question thanks to the open environment. We also were guided towards people who would be able to offer more information and this was useful for future questions for applications etc.

I think I learnt the importance of networking and being able to talk to different groups of people. Initially I found the speed networking a bit daunting as I had never done it before but after some time I got the hang of it and now know what to expect for future events. The day also highlighted the need to be a well rounded individual, ensuring that I keep up other skills alongside my academic studies.

Good structure. However, there was a lot of information given in one day and I think maybe being able to have a few more breaks would have been beneficial. Possibly running the insight over two days may have been a good alternative. Since I felt pretty tired by the end as there was a lot of information to take in.

Very nice atmosphere. Those running the day were very friendly and made you feel very comfortable. Equally, those attending were very nice and it was easy to work alongside like-minded people in teams for the exercise. I also liked the fact that I could ask a very simple question without feeling judged/insecure.

Insight was very helpful in terms of informing me of what it would be like to work in for an investment management firm. I really liked the fact that we had talks from people from different departments. As it broadened my horizons in terms of what role I would be most suited to within the company.

Really helped me, in particular because I was keen to learn the differences between different roles within the financial sector. It made me more keen to find out how working within the investment management branch of an investment bank differs from working under a firm specialising in an asset management such as M&G.

We were not paid or reimbursed for expenses simply because it was only for one day. As I did travel down from the North of England, I did have to take a longer journey via another mode of transport due to the train fare being very expensive. In future it would be helpful if the company could help with expenses for those traveling further areas.

I think that attending insight days are a fabulous opportunity to build up your contacts and find out what you would like to do as a career. Especially as you get the opportunity to talk to those who have been through the exact same process as yourself. I would highly recommend the M&G insight day especially.