When considering my placement applications, the fundamental characteristics I was seeking included a fast-paced environment, some exposure to portfolio management, financial advisory and opportunities for interaction with clients. As a result, Wealth Management was my predominant interest. FP Wealth Management became my first choice due to their emphasis on career progression and responsibility. It was immediately clear that FPWM invests a lot of time into the development of their placement students and even after a few weeks, I am certain that choosing FPWM was the right decision.
FPWM has already taken me on an educational journey where no two days are ever the same. I am learning new things and partaking in various challenges which encourage career progression. By shadowing the current intern, I am able to observe the daily activities of a paraplanner and develop my business awareness through greater insight into how financial markets can affect investments. I have also been given various tasks to assist my understanding of the industry and to showcase my capabilities. My present project examines the ‘Wrap Platform Selection’, this task allows me to analyse each platform in enormous detail and at the end of the process present my conclusions to the team and detail where my research suggests that a client would benefit from moving to a different investment platform. Whilst there is a clear structure to the task, I am encouraged to add my own ideas to the mix and if they add value and my team agrees, my input will be part of the final decisions.
I consider myself extremely lucky to work with such a knowledgeable and like-minded team. The directors offer so much support in order to maximise my potential and have already encouraged me to learn from others in the industry. As an example, on my third day at FPWM, I attended an insight day at BlackRock in London, which was a series of presentations from inspirational women in the fund management industry. Even though I am well supervised, I am given the responsibility to manage my own day and learn through the art of ‘doing’ which helps me engage and absorb immense amounts of information. Though, it is important to note that a helping hand is always offered by my team if direction is needed.
To date, my placement at FPWM has been extremely pleasurable and informative and I am eager to see where my level of knowledge and skill will be in a years’ time. My hope is that after my placement year, I will be even closer to turning my passion of Wealth Management into a career.
