What attracted you to the Welsh Financial Services Graduate Programme?

The master’s degree

Did you always want a career in finance?

I thought I did until I joined the scheme. I started the programme with the ultimate goal of being an accountant, but I quickly learnt that this career path wasn’t for me.

Can you tell us about your experience on the programme?

1st placement: Atradius – events and marketing
2nd placement: Atradius – global account management
3rd placement: Admiral – household claims supply chain

I joined the programme 6 months late which meant I had to do a years’ worth of work in 6 months. These 6 months were certainly the toughest but still manageable. Alongside the full-time work placements and the master’s degree, I had a part time job and worked approx. 15 hours per week. I still managed to maintain a good social life, but it was a busy two years.

I built good relationships with the other graduates on the programme and we came up with the idea of setting up a financial services conference to raise awareness of the variety of roles available within the sector. We organised the conference on top of everything else, sourced investment from financial services companies and attracted over 100 students and graduates on the day!

What path has your career taken since finishing the programme?

I was offered a full-time job in my final placement at Admiral in 2015 as Supplier Executive within the Household Claims department. In 2016, I was promoted to a senior within the same role and in 2018, I was promoted to Supplier Relationship Manager. I have recently changed roles and I now manage the Household Ancillaries. The opportunities available at Admiral have been brilliant.

Do you think the graduate programme helped accelerate your career?

100%. The Master’s degree really helped me understand the financial services industry and the ability to gain experience in multiple job roles/companies allowed me to apply my knowledge in several different environments.

If you were to go back and start the programme again is there anything you would have changed or done differently?

I would have completed a placement in a third company rather than staying in Atradius for a year to gain experience of more companies.

What has been the highlight or biggest achievement of your career so far?

Achieving my Master’s degree, completing my Cert CII and reaching manager level within Admiral.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of applying?

Embrace every opportunity and build your network of contacts as much as possible.