Junior Fund Manager Assistant Apprentice Review

My role is very broad and encompasses a general overlook of real estate fund management, this includes the fund management itself, asset management, origination (deals), client-side and analytical side. On a day-to-day basis I could be doing anything from financial modeling, to replying to client requests all the way to inspecting the area of an asset within the portfolio.

I have learnt many new skills joining in this role. Coming from a background where I hadn't had any exposure to financial modeling, it was crucial that I learn how to as quickly as possible. Everyone in my team has helped to make that possible and I am now confident in modeling. Also, before I joined, I would have said that my IT skills were a negative on my CV, since joining that is not the case anymore.

I thoroughly enjoy my programme, and I believe this is a mixture of many things. To begin with, the culture within my team and the company as a whole, is next to none. Having had conversations with other apprentices, team members and people from around the business, it is clear to me that M&G are different when it comes to the work environment of which I've had first hand experience in. Next, another major reason I am enjoying myself if the programme itself and what It offers me in terms of learning experiences and exposure to things I was unsure I would be exposed to. It is a testament to my team and the company as a whole that they trust someone who has been in the job for 5 months, to be doing such high profile work.

I think overall the programme is structured very well, we had numerous induction events to ensure everyone was happy and knew how to conduct ourselves properly. In terms of training and studying the webinars can be a tad dull and often clash with other meetings etc. which could potentially change in the future. However, support from my team, manager, apprentice coordinator and buddy have all been exceptional. All have helped me settle in and push my limits to ensure I'm improving myself as much as possible.

I receive a huge amount of support from my employer. I have regular calls and catch-ups with my mentor/buddy who is a previous apprentice and these have helped when I've had general questions or questions about the qualification I am undertaking. Continually my manager has been so very helpful and understanding that I do have to focus on my studies sometimes and will have to delegate some of my company work to someone else. Lastly, my apprenticeship coordinator has been super helpful for when issues arise and need to be brought to someones attention, and also in terms of social event and bringing us all together as one.

I receive an okay amount of support from my training provider. We have weekly webinars for the qualifications being undertook, and quarterly calls to catch-up on anything we need. However, I feel at some points they haven't been the most helpful, with some of the learning resources they provide as they didn't give and accurate gauge of how the actual exam would be. Overall, they have been good, but some things need to be changed, as I feel my qualification is an individual project rather than being taught through the provider.

The qualification so far has helped me perform better in my role for sure, it has introduced me to things I had no clue of before and I learn something new everyday. However, The final section of my qualification was initially a choice by the apprentice to pick the course, this would have meant I could have picked a specialized course for my role. However, the learning provider decided to pick the last one for everyone to make it easier for themselves through group webinars and learning. I had hoped to be able to choose a specialization, and being told that wasn't possible did frustrate me a little bit.

Working from home it has been hard to take part in such activities. However, M&G have been very good at creating social events, networking hours etc. to try and create more extra-curricular activities. Continually, I have been made aware of sporting teams available to join, although not at the moment due to the current environment.

Yes

M&G's culture and attitude towards new employees and especially the younger generation who want to strive forward and succeed, is next to none. If you come into the environment and push yourself, are disciplined and have the attitude to be successful, the company is perfect for growth and to achieve a network of people who have been through the exact same path as you.

The whole process through the online tests all the way to the assessment day is all about being yourself. The team members are looking for someone who is generally excited in the role and want to succeed in it. The on boarding process is also a time to ask as many questions as you have, about anything. Going through the process myself, I understand that moving into an environment that you are completely unfamiliar with, can be daunting. However, everyone in M&G is super helpful and will answer any questions you have.