Derivatives Operations Administrator Review

I work in the investment operations department but my role lies in the derivatives operations team. Basically, my team work as a back office for derivative trades, along with other day-to-day tasks. We have three weekly checklists which involve various tasks and have to be completed daily. With regards to the trade side, we input the trades done by our dealers into internal systems and monitor the settlement of these trades. My role involves a lot of interaction with different counterparties as well as other parts of the business.

I have learnt so much since joining M&G. When I first started my apprenticeship it seemed like a different language to me! Now, I have had such an eye opener to the industry through my day-to-day job to training courses on the industry and the business as a whole. I am also working towards my IOC certificate which is helping me learn a lot along the way and gain the right knowledge to apply to my role. I have also developed my communication skills, improved my team working skills and become a lot more confident as a person.

I really enjoy the programme at M&G. No day is the same here and that's what keeps it exciting. I am also constantly learning new things every day which keeps me interested in progressing further and further. To me, this apprenticeship exceeded my expectations. As it was a choice of this programme or going to university, I was scared I would be missing out on all the fun my friends would be having at uni. However, that is not the case as I have met so many amazing people and the social side of the job is excellent.

I feel very valued by M&G. I will have regular 1-to-1's with my supervisor/manager and they will praise me for the things I am doing well as well as giving me targets to improve myself. I will also receive praise off our head of the apprenticeship scheme as well as from my college provider. There is always someone around to tell you your strengths and what to improve on.

My programme is very well structured. Before I even started I knew exactly the length of the programme and what it would consist of. I am given the training I need when it's available and the time away from my desk when I need to concentrate on my exams. I will meet regularly with my training provider on a monthly basis as well as with our head of apprentices quarterly.

I feel so much support from my training provider. She comes to our office once a month for us to review my progress. She does all she can to make sure I finish my apprenticeship as soon as possible by helping me with build up my portfolio towards my NVQ and also helps me with regards to booking my exams and providing my study resources. She lets me share any problems/issues I have and gives me advice on anything I need.

I receive a lot of support from M&G. My manager and the rest of my team made me feel very welcome when I first joined and they continue to provide their support and help me every step of the way. As stated above, I also receive a lot of support from my HR team and the other apprentices here at M&G.

Personally I think the salary is good for a person of my age to be earning, especially while being given the chance to gain a qualification as well. It allows me to meet my travel costs to work as well as my living costs and social costs. We are also given the opportunity for our salary to increase.

There are endless opportunities outside of work. We have different sporting teams and charity events which we can take part in. We are also involved in the investment 2020 scheme which gives as many events to attend with other apprentices from other companies giving great networking opportunities.

Yes

I would recommend M&G to a friend as it is such a great company to work for. Everyone in the company is very friendly and will make you feel so welcome and a part of M&G straight away. The apprenticeship scheme provides you with so many opportunities that I would recommend it to anyone.

The advice I would give would be to mainly just be yourself. I was honest and acted myself throughout the whole recruitment process and I was glad that M&G wanted me for me. I would also strongly emphasise to research the company beforehand because they love it when candidates already know about the company and have took to the time to show some interest in what M&G do. Also, try and come across friendly but also professional when getting to the interview stage. Another point I will add is talk about all of your experiences, even if you think it may not be related to the specific role, any experience is better than none.