I joined Charles Stanley on 5th September as a Middle Office Apprentice, specifically working with the Client Data department. Prior to my start, I had just completed my A-levels in Economics, Mathematics and Computer Science at the start of Summer. I am also going to be studying towards an Investments Operations Technician (CISI) qualification. This means that along with my daily duties for the Client Data (CD) team, I will also be spending some time studying every week for the qualification.
My only exposure to the financial sector was a week-long work experience in 2021 at The Shard with Foresight, a wealth management company that focused primarily on investing with a 'green' agenda. For example, investing into sustainable energy development or advanced medicinal robotics.
What my role involves
My role at CS consists of amending, maintaining and creating new accounts held under Charles Stanley. The team receives tasks and queries from all branches across the country to process, ranging from correcting simple typos on client forms to creating complex financial accounts for trusts, pensions, individuals and any entities in between. Primarily, the client data department must follow rules and regulations closely to ensure proper documentation is provided for any change(s) to take place. This means that if the CD team finds any discrepant information or finds insufficient documentation, it will be sent back to be reviewed and fixed to allow us to move forward.
A typical day
My usual day starts with a breakfast hot chocolate (which I've been doing to delay my pending coffee addiction) and then sitting down at my desk. I get myself sorted and the first thing I like to check is the news, I think this is a good way to ease into the day and is important to stay relevant and up to date– especially with the turbulent state of the economy now. Next, I check my schedule for the day to see if I have any meetings or training sessions to prepare myself for them. At this point, in the background I check for any tasks that are coming through to see if I can pick any up myself, however, I am still learning all the different and more intricate amendments and procedures CD has to deal with so I try and support others in tasks where I don't have the right organisational knowledge just yet.
The company culture
My very first impression of Charles Stanley was that the culture of the people and office was very strong. By this I mean, everyone was very friendly and welcoming to have a new team member in the office walking around with them, I found myself becoming a part of the team and company quickly and felt embraced and cared for. This stretched from receptionists to managers to random colleagues opening the doors or lifts with a smile.
I believe that a company's success is directly reflected by the treatment and care of its employees, and I think that Charles Stanley has clear evidence for this. I have spoken to some people who have been with the company for over three decades! I think it is a grand achievement for any company that can boast those numbers to retain employees for that long, as it shows me that if they didn't feel cared for, they wouldn't stay for even a tenth of that period.
Looking to the future
I also value career progression and development; coming into the financial services at only 18 years old, I am looking for long-term trajectory and a pathway for further opportunities to absorb and take
Something interesting about me is that about a year ago, I was featured as a guest speaker with my economics teacher on BBC 5 Live radio podcast 'Wake up to Money', where I talked briefly about the state of the country/economy at the time and what I enjoyed about listening to the podcast. Lastly, I can't write all this information about myself without mentioning my best buddy – Jack – a Rhodesian ridgeback crossed with a Bullmastiff, who I have had for 11 years now. To this day, I am still advocating for a 'Bring your pet to work' day, as I am sure he would love to meet all the wonderful people in the office.