Financial Crime Analyst Review

In my role, I get involved with investigations into fraud, money laundering, stolen vehicles, victims of impersonation and seized vehicles, which can be super interesting! Day to day I may encounter tasks such as checking forms of ID for their legitimacy, reviewing applications for new finance and liaising with police, enforcement, solicitors, recovery agents and internal teams to resolve issues. I am responsible for collating information and presenting this in the form of legal documents and making sure our customers' data is protected.

Changing from an educational environment to one of professionalism and status has been a huge developmental step which has demonstrated to me my strengths and weaknesses. There are so many areas which I wish to develop, grow and improve upon which is personally quite motivating. These last few months I have shown that I can use my transferrable skills to approach problem solving, make logical and reasoned decisions with attention to detail and communicate effectively. I am learning the ability to be diligent with my time and make sure I use the time given to its full advantage. This has demanded me to be incredibly organized and balanced with tasks, making sure I prioritize what is needed and raise or escalate any issues where I may need further support. In addition to this, I am becoming more aware of the position I am in and the requirements from our regulator in financial services. I am navigating and exploring more into my analysis skills and how effectively I can review data or patterns which is something I hope to keep working at to support my apprenticeship.

I really enjoy my placement at BMW for many reasons including the extent of how much I get to learn, the people I get to work with and the environment that I am provided with to support me. I am able to experience so many new things, gather new skills and improve my knowledge on different parts of the business.

There is good structure to the business and the placement programme I do but also freedom and independence for my learning. I am able to make my own choices about how I want to learn and the projects I get involved with. My placement is structured over four years, but flexible to honor my working patterns.

At my company, networking between colleagues is supported and increasingly encouraged. I work in a close team of about seven people including financial crime analysts and managers, while being part of a wider compliance team. We communicate and work alongside many other internal teams, thus encouraging the importance of networking. My colleagues always show a willingness to support my learning which is reassuring, while I also am offered support from my tutors and peers that attend classes with me.

I receive a good amount of support from my training provider, however if I didn't have a wonderful team of well qualified individuals with great experience in the qualification topics, I think I would really struggle. All my lessons are online and as someone who has never worked in motor finance let alone compliance, it has taken a lot to be able to learn everything independently.

I think the qualification that I am working towards has significant relevance to my role and because it is so specific, I believe that learning all of the content is super valuable to my role! Some of the challenges I come across or responses to challenges are not something that can be taught and believe learning on the job is also incredibly valuable.

There are so many opportunities and events to get involved with in and outside of work which is just one of the many benefits available to me. There are so many charity events, large business events, chances to attend other working plants , product reveals, activities on site and challenges such as Snowdon!

Yes

It is a business with a good culture, good support networks and endless opportunities. I have felt welcomed and treated fairly from the beginning. The business have helped me lay the foundations for my career and I am excited to see the rest of my journey at BMW Group.

Do research into what companies support what qualifications and the different levels that they offer. Think about how you work best and what kind of environment would suit you best. University isn't the only option and in this constantly changing world, there are many different paths that will get you to the same place.