Spring Week Review

It was a motivational experience and offered an insight into a field which I had little exposure to beforehand. This meant that it made my goals seem more achievable and showed first hand was a future career could look like. For me this added to the enjoyment, looking towards what may be my career.

There was clear evidence of a huge amount of time and effort that went into planning the insight, which shows that the attendees were highly valued. This was evident at all levels, whether it be the desks we shadowed, or the organising team who had all dedicated long hours to ensuring it was a success.

We were constantly reminded that no question is a silly question, and there was a strong focus on spending time answering questions that we may have to ensure that we can learn as much as possible. Everyone I spoke to was happy to spend time to explain anything that you may be confused about, even at the desks which get extremely busy.

Working with an intense schedule and a long, busy day has taught me how to manage my time effectively which will be very valuable in my degree. I have learned how to handle a tight schedule which will push me to work hard consistently during my studies. Seeing what my future career could be has driven me to continue these efforts.

There was never any confusion as to what was going on and we always knew where to go and when to be there. Even the shadowing was extremely well structured with each desk having a list of tasks to be completed or questions to be answered which made sure we learned as much as possible.

Very friendly and welcoming, with a constant reminder that the company focuses heavily on people and strong relationships between them. This was evident not only amongst the staff, but also the other attendees who were extremely helpful and friendly. This meant a non competitive and friendly atmosphere in which everyone could strive and not feel intimidated.

The staff at the desks spent a long time away from their desk to ensure we could learn and take something valuable away from the insight which was clearly a sacrifice of profits to focus on training us instead. Many people took time out of their day to speak to us at all levels of the firm.

Shadowing meant it was clear what a full time role would entail as we could see first hand what traders and sales people were doing on a day to day basis, and they showed us every detail of their job, sharing both good and bad experiences, giving a comprehensive and unbiased insight into what it is like.

Very much as we were consistently told the value of people and what makes the firm successful, and it was clear that this was adhered to strictly at all levels of the firm and that recruitment focused heavily on ensuring this continued, it was even evident down to the other attendees.

We were given an overview of every single function within the firm which was unique and allowed us to draw a clear comparison in the work between the different roles. This was valuable to help decide a career path as the difference is often blurred before you hear about it first hand.

Travel everyday ended up being quite expensive at about £50, although I was offered accommodation 30minutes away from the office, which would still have cost money in travel but less. Food was covered everyday, despite dinner being minimal in the form of canapés. Lunch was often also canapés and was difficult to eat when networking alongside it.

Pretty much every day there was a new opportunity to network with employees by means of shadowing or lunch. Most of the food we ate was alongside a networking opportunity with people from all levels of the company from analyst up to managing director which offered a vast variety of views.

They were good but felt rather impersonal as they often ended up being in large groups which makes it difficult to be memorable, and was often awkward eating food whilst talking to someone so senior. Ideally the networking and the food should be separated, however I understand it is difficult with time constraints.

I would as it offers a great deal of exposure and an unrivalled opportunity to learn about a field which has many myths surrounding it. I have found that the only true way to learn about it has been seeing it first hand and walking through the door. The opportunity to get a summer internship from it is also great.