More Good News!

During my absence from blog writing, I began looking at internal vacancies within Rathbones to secure a permanent job.

There were a number of vacancies that were circulated internally which, after some research into them, I didn't feel matched what I was looking for. I didn't want to apply for a position just to be made permanent. I was willing to wait until I felt a good opportunity came up. I wanted to work in a team that has a wide range of responsibilities to prevent the work from becoming repetitive. Luckily, an email about a vacant role on the Provider Business Support team was circulated to everyone in the office.  After speaking to various employees throughout the company about the role, including the manager, I decided to go for it. 

I was offered an interview for a Friday morning. I had studied the job description and thought of as many questions as I could think of that related to the role. This allowed me to prepare several examples for each aspect of the job. I was also lucky that the experienced I had gained throughout the apprenticeship meant I had a decent understanding of some of the tasks performed by the department. 

I felt the interview went as well as it could have gone. There were no questions I couldn't provide an answer for. The interview was also only supposed to last an hour and we exceeded that by half an hour - which I thought was a good sign! I was expecting to find out whether I was successful by the following Monday but received a phone call the same day and found out the good news then - result! 

This team is exactly what I was looking for, in terms of a wide range of responsibilities. Provider Business Support are the contact point for Self Invested Personal Pensions and Offshore Bond providers. Running and distributing various reports, ensure any ad hoc requests are met and maintaining a good relationship between the advisors are all amongst our responsibilities. I have since settled in perfectly and the team are great. I am really enjoying this position. 

Exciting Times...

Apologies for my lack of blogs as of late. Things have been very eventful and so much has happened! First things first, I am currently writing this blog from the main office of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments in London! The reason for this is due to me recently securing a role as the first ever CISI Apprenticeships Ambassador - not too shabby!

The position basically allows me to represent the CISI and contribute to the services they provide in working with employers to promote apprenticeships. My role will require me to give presentations at events to give my view and tell my experiences about apprenticeships. These presentations could range from being delivered to students deciding between an apprenticeship and university, to employers who could potentially take on apprentices. This means I have a great opportunity to speak to a vast scope of audiences.

This week is my first week of this new post and it has already seen me travel to London, give a presentation about my apprenticeship experience and meet the entire CISI team. Later on this week I will be required to travel back home to Liverpool and give another presentation in the Liver Building. This week has already proved to be a very busy one but a very exciting one at the same time and I am very much looking forward to see what being the CISI Apprenticeship Ambassador entails in the forthcoming months!  

1 Curzon Street, London

As I mentioned in my previous entry, the apprentices and I were scheduled to visit the Rathbones office in London. On Thursday 5^th February, we did just that.

My alarm had to be set for 6 o’clock, which would allow me to be on the 07:47am train and in the office for 10:30am. When we got there, I was very impressed by the location to say the least! We were given a tour around the office by HR representatives. I couldn’t believe how client orientated the office was, with nearly an entire floor dedicated to meeting rooms.

Next on the agenda was a meeting with Hugh Adlington, who is an Investment Manager who has line management responsibilities for other investment management terms and also chairs the Strategic Asset Allocation committee. It was a really good opportunity to hear more about what he does, as well as asking him questions about the different tasks he is faced with, the pressures he is under and how he finds the right balance between his different responsibilities.

After that, the apprentices were split into two groups and my group had presentations from Mark Smith, Manager of Middle Office London, and Matt Hawkins, RPAS Financial Planning Director. As Mark was originally from Liverpool and moved down to London and I saw the opportunity to ask him about moving to the capital. He expressed that it is a bit of a culture shock at first due to the hectic public transport but you soon get used to it. This response meant that I'm not ruling out a future move to London to further my career if any opportunities arise further on down the line.

We then had a chat with RIM Management Committee. The chat was relatively informal and there was a relaxed atmosphere. It allowed us to meet many senior figures from the company. I noticed how fascinated many of them were with the apprenticeship scheme and how successful it has been so far. They were also very interested in what we had to say about the scheme, which was a good chance to voice our opinions.

The afternoon consisted of a tour around ‘Financial London’. This was very informative and was a great way of seeing how business in London started and progressed. We started by finding out how shares in companies, commodities and insurance all started in three coffee shops located in (Ex)Change Alley. We then moved on to seeing the head offices of some of the biggest organisations in London before finishing the tour outside the Bank of England.

The day then unfortunately came to an end, leaving us to make our way back to Euston to catch our 5:00pm train back to Lime Street. I believe the day overall was a huge success! I hope I get the opportunity to visit the London office at some point in the near future. 

The Beginning of 2015

I hope everyone has had a great start to 2015 and I’d like to wish you all the best for the year ahead.

It is really surprising how fast the time is flying. When I started my apprenticeship, I had no idea how fast it would go. Two years sounds a lot longer than it actually is! Knowing that I only have around 8 months left on my apprenticeship is unbelievable. My main focus for this year is to secure a permanent position for after my apprenticeship, as well as continuing to complete my IOC exams.

Speaking of my exam, I spoke about studying for my first exam. I have since sat the exam, just before Christmas, and honestly felt that I'd done everything I could to fully prepare myself for it. The exam was an Introduction to Securities and Investments. It gives me great pleasure, as well as relief, to inform you that I passed! I was so happy. After the exam, I had a short break from studying while I enjoyed my festive period. The break was short lived as before I knew it, I had the books to my second exam and I am currently working through the material.

The other apprentices and I are scheduled to visit the London office in early February. I have liaised closely with colleagues in the London office to organise the visit. The aim was to gain a better insight into the departments that are only based in London. The apprentices and I had drawn up a plan for what we'd like to do when we were in London. Some ideas included meeting with the RIM Management Committee as well as fund managers and financial advisors, as well as visiting the RUTM and marketing departments.

When we had outlined an agenda, I then went back and forth with HR and a company secretary to arrange a plan and overcoming setbacks. When in London, we will also get an opportunity to have a guided tour of the city, which is an opportunity that doesn't arise every day!

I will give you another update to tell you how it went after we go. 

Progression

Well, a lot has happened since my previous blog! First things first, I have passed my NVQ! I needed to pass this in order for me to complete the first stage of the academic side to my apprenticeship. This means I am now officially have a Level 3 Advanced Business & Administration National Vocational Qualification. My portfolio was assessed and I received compliments for how obvious it was that I had taken a great level of ownership with my work. This came as a massive relief, along with a great sense of pride.

I have since begun studying for my first IOC. This is the second stage of the academic side to my apprenticeship. As it is the first time I have had to study in over a year, I found it a little tricky in getting back into the swing of it. Now that the studying is well under way, I am really enjoying it! I often find myself struggling to put the book down. I have yet to book my exam as I want to be 100% ready and confident going into it, but I will keep you updated when I do.

Also since my last blog, I have started my third department. I am now the Dividend Apprentice. I am working in the offshore part of Dividends, which I am really pleased about. It is the first opportunity I've had to work with any offshore element to Rathbones and my knowledge has increased greatly as a result of it. I am currently processing equity's and will eventually move onto processing unit trusts, as they are far more complex. I believe it won’t be long before I'm in a competent position within Dividends and I look forward to being in such a position.

So you might agree, there is a lot that has happened in the last month. I am open to seeing what other changes come my way...

Approaching The One Year Mark...

I am now nearing the one year mark in my apprenticeship. With only one month left until I have reached the half way point, I now have one or two tasks to do before my NVQ is completed. I have found it very interesting and I have gained a lot of vital knowledge from it. My knowledge of the workplace has improved greatly, such as why certain tasks are performed and how the workplace functions. The NVQ has opened my eyes to what is expected from employees and how the best can be brought out of an organisation. I believe the NVQ has helped me settle into the work place a lot easier by giving me a great understanding of it and I will be able to use the valuable skills learned down my career oath with me. It now won't be long before I begin my studies for the IOC exams. I am really looking forward to learning more about the financial industry. I believe working at Rathbones for a year has put me on a great starting block. This is due to my everyday tasks and the questions I have asked to my colleagues always allowing me to find out more. I have also been receiving emails from the CISI each day with a question that I could expect in my exams. When you complete the question it then explains the answer in full. I understand that there is still a huge amount that I don't know about the financial markets but I can't wait to find out more. I am also in the middle of organising a visit to the London office for myself and the other apprentices. This visit will give us an insight into the role the London office plays in the operation of Rathbones. It will also allow us to meet our colleagues and see what the London office has that the Liverpool office hasn't. It would be ideal if I can bring some ideas back from London that I can suggest we introduce into our office. There are some departments in Rathbones that are only based in London so it I'll give us a chance to get to know more about them. I am also hoping to get an insight of what it is like to work in London, as this is something I would be open to in the future if the right opportunity arose. I love Liverpool, the city I currently live in, but moving away in order to seize a great opportunity is something I would definitely consider. By visiting the London office, I hope to experience firsthand what it would be like working there.

CISI Liverpool & North Wales Annual Dinner 2014

I was recently invited to attend the CISI Liverpool & North Wales Annual Dinner that was being held at the Crown Plaza in Liverpool, on 22nd May 2014. The dress code for the dinnerwas black tie which meant I had a chance to dust down my dinner suit and clip on my dickie bow! As the majority of attendees would all be working in the financial industry, I seen it as a great opportunity to network and get to know more about working in the industry. The CISI Dinner would give me a fantastic opportunity to meet people who currently do similar jobs to what I would like to do in the future, as well as represent Rathbones. This was too good of an opportunity to turn down. This and the fact that the guest speaker was Kevin Keegan. As I'm a big red, the chance to meet a Liverpool legend was a no brainer!

I was sat on a table with the other apprentices, along with people from different companies. We were all in conversation from people from various other businesses. It was great to get an idea of the different jobs and routes people have taken in the financial industry to get to where they are today.

It took me by surprise that the people I spoke to were very easy to speak to and took the time to listen to what I, the apprentice, had to say. This opened my eyes that people of a high stature in the industry are just people, like everyone else, who have worked hard and taken the chances they have been given. The dinner has helped me realise that I am no different to anyone else that was sitting in that room. It has opened my eyes to what I am capable of achieving. As the Rathbonesapprenticeship is a great way for me to be introduced to the financial industry, it is down to me to take this starting platform and continue the progression after the apprenticeship is finished, and I am very confident in doing so. 

During the dinner, numerous members of the CISI gave presentations and our apprenticeship actually received quite a significant mention. It was good to know that people outside of Rathbones are appreciating the success of the apprenticeship so far. I think it may have opened other companies eyes to starting similar schemes, as the attending company representatives were made aware of our progress. I think a few where quite impressed!

Overall, the meal was a huge success! I met some big figures in the financial industry. I had a chat with Kevin Keegan about Liverpool’s most recent season and how we will progress from there. This was followed up by a photo and an autograph, obviously. I am now very much looking forward to next years dinner.

Stage One Complete...

The first stage of my apprenticeship came to an end on 4th April. I have left my previous role in Rathbones Pensions Advisory Service and started in the Client Static Data department within Rathbones Investment Management.
I'm happy with the order in which the apprenticeship has fallen for me. This is due to RPAS and RIM being two separate companies. I have been fortunate to work with RPAS for my first placement and now I can focus on working with RIM for the remainder of my apprenticeship.

I learned so much when I was working within RPAS. I learned about the value of pensions and I would strongly advise you to contribute as much as you can into your pension as soon as you can. As it was my first department in my first job, I feel I have benefitted from working at RPAS as it opened my eyes to how important a pension is. Essentially, it is all about working hard while you can, saving up as much as you can and sailing off into the sunset when retirement arrives – quite literally! I think before, like many other people have done so before me, I thought retirement will never come. Well now I know it does come eventually, as preparation has its rewards.
The department allowed me to meet many great people and gain a great understanding about how pensions work. They are surprisingly interesting once you get started.

I have now been working in CSD for two weeks and I have settled in brilliantly! The fact that it’s only around the corner from my old desk was comforting and I see my old colleagues almost every day. I have been allowed to settle in quickly due to my new colleagues being so welcoming and also, with me only being in my previous position for six months I wasn’t too set in my ways. I no longer feel like the new guy and it’s only been two weeks. I have started my training and have had no problems. The tasks I've been given I have picked up quite quick.
I have started at a very busy period, due to Rathbones’ two very recent acquisitions and although I may not be directly involved with this work, it has given me an idea of the impact such large projects can have on an operations department.

I am looking forward to seeing what the remainder of my six months has to offer and what I can learn from them!

Work Hard, Play Hard

As well as having my capabilities pushed and put to the test while I have been at Rathbones, I have the pleasure in saying it hasn’t all been work, work, work. I have been shocked by how social the company is! It is impossible to not have a good social life whilst working here. I guess the old saying applies – work hard, play hard! So far, I have attended several birthday meals with the people in my team. I was also invited to the Rathbones Christmas party which was in the Maritime Museum which was a fantastic location. The night offered the chance to have a sit down meal while socialising with colleagues. This was a great way for me to meet people I wouldn’t normally talk to during working hours. I noticed events like this make the working environment a more pleasant place to work as you get to know people on a more personal basis. My department also had a Christmas night out. This was a Robbie Williams tribute act in the Crown Plaza. Admittedly, it wouldn’t have been my first choice of event for a Christmas night out but I was shocked by how much of a good time we all had. I was also fortunate to meet the rest of the RPAS team that are based in the London, Bristol and Newcastle offices. It was great for me to put faces to voices as I had only ever spoken to them on the phone. As part of the apprenticeship, we also had a sit down meal with the CEO of Rathbones at the time, Andy Pomfret. As you can imagine, I was quite nervous going into the meal as I wanted to make a good impression. Once I got sat down and the meal was underway, I was surprised by how easy it was to talk to him. It made me realise that talking to the CEO of Rathbones is no different to talking to the person sitting next to you on a daily basis. I am due to move departments soon. I think it will be easier settling in this time than when I first started as faces will be more familiar. I am also confident in knowing that my new team will be as friendly as the one I am in now. I will be going to Client Static Data next, which I believe will allow me to gain a better knowledge of Rathbones and its entirety.

My Apologies...

I have noticed it has been a while since I have posted a blog. The reason for this is because the work load that my colleagues and I have got to face has seriously increased! That may sound like I’m complaining, which is definitely not the case. As the work load has risen, I have noticed that the team work amongst my co-workers has greatly improved and we are working as a closer unit than previously. The high work load is something that I have definitely enjoyed up to now as the days literally fly by. Due to the increase in work that we have to get through, our targets have also increased. My colleagues and I continue to meet them and exceed our expectations, which is never a bad thing!

Since my last blog entry, I think it is safe to say that I have completely settled into life at Rathbones. I have passed my three month probation period with flying colours, I have attended various social events such as Christmas parties, quiz nights and even had a sit down meal with the CEO of Rathbones, Andy Pomfret. There are also upcoming events that the other apprentices and I will be involved with, such as a trip to London which I am looking forward to! My NVQ portfolio is well underway and I believe I am on track for completing it before the deadline. After that I will be able to concentrate all my efforts into completing the IOC (Investment Operations Certificate).

Now that I have settled in and I am used to the high volumes of work, I will be able to post more blogs to give you a better insight into apprenticeships so stay tuned!

How It All Happened...

How it all happened I now know how much of an amazing opportunity this particular apprenticeship scheme is! Don’t get me wrong, when I first heard about the opportunity the initial sound of it was tempting, otherwise I wouldn’t have applied. But I massively underrated it.

Whilst I was studying for my A-levels, I informed my teachers that I wouldn’t be applying for university but applying for apprenticeship schemes instead. During a revision session for my last exam, my Business Studies teacher received an email outlining the apprenticeship scheme at Rathbones. When she showed it to me, the position really appealed to me so I requested an application form. I took far longer completing this application than I have on any other, which says a lot about how much I wanted it. A few weeks later, I received an email out of the blue inviting me to attend a recruitment week. Looking back now, my reaction probably was a bit over the top considering I didn’t have the job yet. Oops…

When I arrived at Rathbones, the building had me lost for words. I can remember thinking to myself “eh, wouldn’t it be nice to work here!”
Along with around 11 other applicants, I received a presentation about Rathbones and this was when it really hit home about how good an opportunity this apprenticeship was. After the presentation, we were guided through the format of the week and advised of what would happen each day. We were told that the recruitment process would require us to produce a 10 minute presentation on how we would spend £100,000 and then there would be an interview on the following day. I had a feeling it wouldn’t just be an interview that we would be judged on, but I had no idea we would have to do a presentation as well. Luckily the beginning of the week consisted of in depth training on presentation and interview skills, which helped me to feel 100% prepared.

Even though the training helped, I still felt so nervous before the presentation! I would find myself going to bed and lying there for hours thinking about it. Thinking of what I was going to say, thinking of different ways of saying them. The day of the presentation came round and I was the first up. I was happy knowing it would be over in a few hours rather than having to think about it all day. However, once I got underway with the presentation I was fine. I settled down straight away and surprised myself on how well I did. I introduced myself, presented my presentation, answered questions and left. It was all over so fast! I knew then it was only the interview left.

I was again first up in my interview and was being interviewed by 3 Managers from Rathbones. I was surprised by how much they comforted me which really helped to calm my nerves. Thanks to them, the answers came so easily! At the end of the interview I was told to expect a phone call on Monday. I think it’s safe to say, that was the longest weekend of my life!

Thankfully, the phone rang and I was told that I had been successful in getting a place as one of six Rathbones apprentices. I can’t describe how happy I was! I told my mum and she burst into tears. I told my dad and he simply shook my hand and said “nice one mate”. At this point, I just couldn’t wait to start.

Hi There!

My name is Connor Day. I am 18 years old and I am from Norris Green, Liverpool. I am currently one of six apprentices at Rathbones, working in the RPAS Department. I will inform you as to what that involves at a later stage.

I studied at The De LA Salle Academy, home of many sporting great including the prolific Manchester United and England forward, Wayne Rooney. While at De La Salle, I showed a keen interest in Business Studies and Media Studies. During my two years of sixth form, I studied Business Studies, Film Studies and English Literature.
Although I really enjoyed my time in sixth form, I nearly cut it short when I was considering leaving early to apply for apprenticeships. This was down to the fact that I had friends that had apprenticeships and what he had to say about them sounded very appealing to me. After some serious consideration, I decided to see out my sixth form courses and came away with grades B, B and E, respectively. I was happy with my decision to complete my courses, as it was a great stepping stone to move forwards. Although people said to me sixth form is only useful if you’re going to university, I found that sixth form was a tremendous help to get to the position I am in today. Without sixth form I wouldn’t have heard about the opportunity I am in, as well as the minimum requirements needed to apply.

Throughout school, I was always in Gifted and Talented groups and always encouraged to go to university by both school and my parents. I believe this was because they all had faith in my ability and, in my mother’s words, “I would walk it”. From the beginning of school, I had always had my hearts set on university. This was until I reached an age were I started to think for myself, I assessed different pathways in life and began to take it upon myself to decide what I was going to do. Countless trips and open days were organised, but I didn’t feel university was for me. I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do and I believe it is safe to say that most students are in the same boat. The sound of picking a subject, paying around £9,000 a year and coming away with still no idea of what I wanted to do just wasn’t really an option. Making a decision at the age of 18 years of age is something that no one should have to do, but everyone has to do.

This was when I heard about apprenticeships. Earning and learning. For the position I was in, this suited me down to a tea. Apprenticeships are essentially an opportunity to gain work related qualifications, while also gaining the experience employers are looking for. With the lack of jobs in previous years, employers are receiving ridiculous amounts of applicants for one job and this allows them to pick a candidate that is perfect for the vacancy. I believe work related qualifications and experience are vital if you want to stand a good chance of getting your desired job. I also believe university is more suited for specialised jobs, such as vets and doctors. All of this is the reason I decided to go down the apprenticeship route, rather than the university.

Keep an eye out for my next entry to the blog, which will describe how I heard about my apprenticeship and what was required of me to get it. Take care guys!