Trading Assistant Apprentice Review

As a trading assistant, I use our investment platform to position cash out on deposit, providing support to the dealers. I send trade confirmation emails to banks, as well as writing an investigative report on our start of day balances for my team. I communicate with other teams on a daily basis, when querying overdrafts or the investment intentions of unexpected balances.

Whilst, completing my first CISI exam (Introduction to Securities and Investment), I have developed a broader knowledge of the investment industry and the various regulations involved. I have also strengthen my Microsoft Excel skills by taking an internal training course and I have improved my time management and communication skills throughout my day to day role. In my role, i have learnt the key features of the products M&G offer to market and the different financial instruments we use internally. Our apprenticeship manager offers monthly upskilling sessions to enable all the apprentices to learn new professional skills which we will use widely in the future.

I really enjoy the programme because it offers a good balance between having responsibility and being a valued member of the team but also offering lots of opportunities to learn and try new things. I am fully supported in my role by not only my own team members but the other apprentices, our apprenticeship manager, the ex-apprentices and members of teams i work closely with. M&G have a strong culture of care rooted throughout the entire business, truly valuing their employees. To aid working from home, each employee was given a generous budget to purchase desks, chairs and any IT equipment needed to ensure everyone was supported. M&G's apprenticeship programme has definitely exceeded my expectations and i would highly recommend it to anyone.

The programme is very well structured. I was given an individual learning plan shortly after i joined, which details the dates/times of my webinars and exams as well as the missions we complete towards our end point assessment. I had a 2 day induction when i joined, helping us set up all our equipment and teaching us valuable skills like how to set up a meeting or how to file our documents correctly. I have had numerous training sessions teaching me different skills both internally and externally to my team. For each new task i am delegated, my team members will full explain the requirements and ensure i understand before i do it individually. My team is particularly well structured with a hierarchy of support i can go to if necessary and i was also given a buddy when i joined to allow me to have immediate support every day. My manager gave me additional study leave to prepare for my exam and i get an hour and a half every day to revise or complete any outstanding apprenticeship work. The programme is very well organised and well structured but also has a level of flexibility to it if we need more time on certain stages.

The support at M&G has exceeded all of my expectations of an apprenticeship as there are many different support networks available to me everyday. My manager and my team are very supportive in my everyday role and with the tasks i am given and i have a buddy that i speak to regularly. The HR team are very supportive and have always been on hand to assist me where needed. Through our external training provider BPP, i have a coach who i have monthly reviews with. The support at M&G is everywhere and very accessible to anyone, with the speak out hotline always available. My manager has always been very supportive, understanding the apprenticeship programme well and has a keen interest in everything i take part in. M&G's culture is very supportive and welcoming, which is filtered down through the whole business very clearly.

I receive lots of support when working towards my qualification, i have my coach who i have monthly reviews with and i have easy access to my tutors through the BPP forum. There are multiple different sources i can go to if i need to and the support has always been very good.

I feel my qualification is very closely related to my role as it has taught me more in depth information about the financial instruments we use on a daily basis and i have gained a better understanding of the market M&G operates in as a whole. From this, i can understand more in my day to day role and assist in more queries from other teams. Also, as a dealing team we are heavily regulated so understanding the regulations i must follow has been a key part of my learning.

There are many social activities available and lots of different networking events. I have regular social catch ups with the other apprentices and past apprentices. Also, Investment2020 (a company that M&G work with that provide us with different training sessions and events to attend) have lots of opportunities to network with other trainees and apprentices from other firms. There are lots of volunteering opportunities available on our intranet and M&G give every employee an additional day annual leave to complete voluntary activities.

Yes

M&G has exceeded my expectations in all aspects as they are a business that truly cares about their employees and clients, showing this with their actions not just their words. I have felt entirely supported since the day i joined and i enjoy the day to day role i perform. M&G's culture is unmatched in my opinion and i would definitely recommend it to anyone who would be interested. My colleagues have taken time and effort to help me learn my new role and are always there if i need them.

My top tip would be to be yourself as it's important for recruiters at M&G to see your personality and how you fit into the business. The recruitment process can be tough at times with the psychometric tests being a little tricky but it is meant to be hard for everyone so they can see your opinions. I was fully supported throughout and i had preparation sessions to prepare me for the assessment center day. The on boarding was well organised and my team was very prepared for me to join. I would tell candidates to research the company as well to ensure you know the values and key behaviours as they are very important at M&G.