Case Study
Jamie Cheung -Providing Financial Services Apprenticeship - Investment Operations Pathway
I knew I wanted to work for Citi as they had a good reputation as an employer. Out of all the apprenticeship options, I looked at the Providing Financial Services Apprenticeship seemed to be the best choice for me. I was very interested in the idea that I would be gaining qualifications whilst obtaining real-world experience in the workplace.
Working within operations at Citi is quite exciting and you get to see a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. It is still very early days for me but on an average day I am involved in the production of daily allocation reports, perform cashflows to ensure affirmations have been processed, reporting any backdated cashflows to my team and completing pending checks on any mismatched trades by communicating with clients so trades become matched. My manager is very supportive and is working with me to get me trained on as many processes as possible, as quickly as possible.
Overall, the support that I get from Citi and Belfast Met is great, everyone on my team at Citi is willing to help me if I have any queries and the same goes for the lecturers at Belfast Met. I have had full-time jobs before so starting work with Citi was not a shock to me and the apprenticeship fits into my day-to-day life no problem. The thing that surprised me the most is how quickly I have settled into my role and been able to pick things up, despite working mostly from home.
I think if you are bored of your current situation and want a positive change and challenge in your life, then definitely look at the apprenticeship options available. It is a great opportunity that will open more doors for you down the line. My focus is on completing my apprenticeship at Citi and challenging myself even further to see how far I can work my way up the ladder within the organisation.