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.