Women in fund management insight day Review

It was a fun experience and it has helped me gain insights into the investment management. I enjoyed the trading exercise and some of the talks delivered that day if they were not very similar. However, I found the day quite intense as you were supposed to get involved in all parts.

I don't think this question is very relevant to an insight day but I do think that M&G did a great job in this sense. We had a nice lounge for the whole day. Tea and biscuit were available in the breaks. Lunch was offered. Senior members were invited to talk to us during network.

We were given clear arrangement for the day before the events so pretty much all was expected. An introduction was given to each specific task so there was no need to worry about anything. Staff were friendly and you could always ask them for help. Everything was relatively straightforward and nothing demanding.

I would say it was very informative especially if you had rather limited knowledge of the financial industry and the investment management. I do not come from a financial background and they have helped me clear the terms. I think now I have a fair understanding of equity, bonds, the difference between the investment bank and investment fund. Through the event, I have gained insight into the buy side and more specifically the long-term investment strategies.

The general structure was okay. There was a trading exercise which was fun and there was networking session. However, I found the talks given at the day were a bit monotone. The business speakers were from the same group so other sides of the story were unknown. And I was not particularly interested in that part of the business. I wished there was more investment side.

People were very friendly even the senior members of the company were willing to talk to you and join your conversations voluntarily during the networking session. The exercise part was stimulating and there was a real sense of competition but in a good way. M&G long-term talent team members were available throughout the day.

I have gained an understanding of a full-time role in general terms. Unfortunately, since one specific group of people gave al the talks, it was difficult to find out about other roles with the company. I guess you could approach people in networking opportunities but time is always limited.

Yes, there was networking event during the lunch break. The senior members of staff came downstairs and joined our conversations. Most of the time, they approached you and introduced themselves to you. But there is no need to be intimidated as they were there to offer help and give advice. However, I do find the networking space was a bit limited. Everyone had to shout sightly.

None was mentioned explicitly but you do catch something when the speakers talked. The hours in M&G or the investment management in general sense is great so you could have plenty of time to yourself. One speaker said there was a team volunteering work ongoing in her group. They would go to a local school for one afternoon.

Yes, I would recommend this insight to anyone who is just thinking about a career in finance. The organisers do not assume any pre-knowledge so it was okay to not know the terms. So don't be out up by that. Also, the buy-side nature of the business is very encouraging. People worked there all seemed very happy with the firm.