I went to University for a year before starting my Apprenticeship at M&G, as at the time I was worried that I would only be able to have the career I dreamed of if I had a degree. As it stood, uni wasn’t for me; the course wasn’t what I expected it to be and I wanted to be able to earn as well as gain qualifications so I started looking at Apprenticeships instead.

Throughout my apprenticeship programme I rotated around different teams within the business area, gaining valuable knowledge and experience of M&G, asset management and the wider Financial Services industry. The culture at M&G is second-to-none and makes it a really great place to work, with lots of social opportunities as well as career-based ones. I found that I was always encouraged to better myself and was provided with plenty of opportunity to do so by peers as well as mentors and owe much of my success to this culture, as it shaped how well I was (and continue to be) managed.

Upon completion of the Apprenticeship, I was offered a permanent and equal role within my team based on my hard work and commitment throughout the 18 months of learning which proved that not having a degree hasn’t held me back as I feared it would. The M&G Apprenticeship programme is simply an alternative entry point and applying to work as an Apprentice at M&G was the best career move I’ve made.