Faye joined the Financial Services Graduate Programme in 2019. After completing a Mathematics Degree at University, she knew she wanted to work in Financial Services but felt she lacked the experience to apply for a job with one of the larger firms.
“When I discovered that the Graduate Programme offered paid placements with some of Wales’s biggest financial services companies on top of the fully funded MSc, I knew I had to apply. It felt like the perfect steppingstone into the world of finance after university” she said.
Faye began her journey with Lexis Nexis, working in a small team.
“Being part of such a small team meant I was exposed to senior figures a lot. There was real responsibility placed on me straight away and I felt like I was part of the team from the beginning.
I was thrown in at the deep end when one of my managers moved on to another role within the business and the other went on maternity leave. It was at this point that I really had to step up. It was a massive learning curve, but it allowed me to learn quickly and show what I was capable of.”
Faye really did rise to this challenge and in September 2020 she was offered a permanent role as a Finance Business Partner.
“My role involves a lot of forecasting and budgeting for the UK side of the business and then presenting this to our parent company in the US.
I work closely with other departments looking for ways to improve things, so I get a good overview of the wider business. This keeps things interesting but is also a great way to learn things because there’s so many different elements to take in.”
There are no hierarchies here at Lexis Nexis, I regularly meet with the MD and feel comfortable sharing my ideas and them being taken on board. The company is also really committed to diversity and there is a very supportive culture which has helped me feel confident in taking on extra responsibilities and stepping out of my comfort zone” Faye added.
It was Faye’s ability to step up and take on additional responsibilities while on her graduate placement that earned her recognition from a senior manager who put her forward for the Finance Wales Award.
“It was a total surprise to find myself nominated. I actually thought the email was a spam message when I first read it as I didn’t know I had been put forward! It’s great to know that the hard work I put in during the months that my manager was on maternity leave had been recognised.
I’ve been told that I kept things going and that I showed wisdom beyond my years which is a real compliment. I’m looking forward to attending the awards later this year and celebrating with other people within the industry.”
“That’s what’s great about this programme, it opens so many doors and there are so many opportunities within it if you are prepared to step up. My advice to future graduates would be not to be afraid of asking for more responsibility. This is your chance to shine so make the most of it.”
Best of luck to Faye who is shortlisted for The Rising Star Award at the Finance Awards Wales. An amazing achievement and we hope you get the recognition you deserve on the night!
Find out more about Finance Awards Wales here.
