Fund Management Apprentice Review

My job title is the Real Estate Income Fund Apprentice. I carry out a range of tasks including modelling and analysing potential deals and creating investor updates and reports detailing how the Fund is performing. I have interactions with the Fund Managers within my team on a daily basis. In terms of responsibilities, I will create presentations, keep a track of deals that we are considering, update SalesForce. On a daily basis, I will answer investor queries and create investor reports.

I have completed my first exam for the Investment Operations Certificate and I will soon be completing my second exam. I am signed up to a training provider called Investment2020 and this provides me with many training courses to help me understand about the Assets Management industry with individuals like myself. During my time within the workplace I am developing many personal skills for example communication skills.

I am thoroughly enjoying my Apprenticeship programme and I believe I have made the correct decision by choosing this option as apposed to University. The culture at M&G is very friendly and people are willing to help if need be, this is extremely important for individuals like myself who have joined the industry with limited knowledge. So far, the Apprenticeship has exceeded my expectations as I am carrying out many tasks which I didn't think I would have the authority and ability to carry out during this stage of my Apprenticeship.

I feel highly valued by the company, particularly within my team and I am treated the same as all other team members. For example I attend the same meetings and presentations as the Fund Managers which is a great learning curve for myself. Moreover, my manager meets with me on a weekly basis to give me feedback about my work and this is a great opportunity to hear what I am doing well but also where I can make improvements to improve my work.

My Apprenticeship is very organised, I meet with my manager on a weekly basis and I meet with my HR manager on a monthly basis to discuss my progress. I am completing an NVQ alongside my IOC and I have an assessor who I meet every six weeks to guide me through how to complete the coursework and can teach me certain sections of the content for my exam.

My training provider is very supportive. I am able to contact him by email if I have any concerns about my exams or coursework. We meet every c. six weeks and this gives me the ability to complete my work and allows time for it to be reviewed and signed off if correct. My assessor have a positive attitude towards supporting me with my studies and work, he provides constructive feedback which allows me to improve my work to help me complete my NVQ work to the highest achievable standard.

My employer, HR manager and team are also very supportive. They understand that I am a school leaver (with limited knowledge about the industry) so they take this into account when setting me work to complete by providing their assistance if I need help or have queries about how to complete the work I have been set.

My salary meets my travel costs and any others costing's which I have to factor in such as rent with surplus each month. I have very pleased with my salary considering my level of experience within the industry I believe I am paid a good starting salary.

Yes there are many opportunities outside of work, for example M&G promotes charity work, learning and development classes, sporting events and other leisure activities. It gives its employees chances to win tickets to certain events and organises many social networking events which allow its employees to meet other individuals within the company and share their experiences of M&G Investments.

Yes

I would thoroughly recommend M&G Investments to any individual who is considering joining the Asset Management Industry instead of opting for University. The culture at M&G is positive and friendly and creates a great place for young people like myself to learn and qualify within the industry. One main advantage of the M&G Apprenticeships is that you are guaranteed a job at the end of your Apprenticeship if you complete the your qualifications and work you are set (this is something that the majority of Apprenticeships at other leading Asset Managers do not guarantee to their Apprentices).

I would advise candidates to research the job they are considering applying for to make sure that it is suited for their skills. M&G host many insight days for school levers (of which I attended two), I would suggest turning up to these as they are a great opportunity to learn about the Apprenticeships and how they work and also gives the candidates an opportunity to meet other Apprentices within the company to understand if it is something which would be of an interest. I would advise candidates to prepare for the interviews with a friend or family member to cover potential questions which are likely to be asked within the interview process. For me the interview process was a completely new experience and therefore I found this stage the most difficult, however, practising with a family member allowed me to build my confidence and feel prepared prior to the real interview.