Case Study
Daniel Markey – Providing Financial Services – Investment Operations Pathway
The Providing Financial Services apprenticeship with Citi allows me to gain experience in a field I’ve always been interested in whilst earning. The best part is that you can come into this apprenticeship with next to no knowledge on the subject because you’re going to be taught everything about it from day one. I always preferred the idea of an apprenticeship to the likes of going to university, as you get to earn a wage whilst learning about the job you are doing. Not having to worry about building up debt due to loans etc is a great benefit.
My apprenticeship employer Citi provides me with all the on-the-job training I could need for the role and the support network stretches across colleagues based locally and internationally. I have been surprised by how willing my work colleagues are to answer questions. I feel it can be a burden sometimes to ask repetitive questions, but they all seem to be very helpful when answering. If they are unsure, they will pass you onto another member of staff who will know exactly what to do and how to do it, whilst providing you with the knowledge yourself.
A typical day for me as a Citi Apprentice involves sending out reports containing details of figures of the current and previous day. This allows the team to analyse and establish market trends. I am also involved in the process of pre matching, which is essential to business operations. If the pre- matching is not carried out, then the trade will not go through. In addition to the above, I have recently been given additional responsibility for two markets which entails matching trades and ensuring figures are correct. Finally, I finish with an End of Day Report. This totals up the highest valued trades of the day as well as trades that have not gone through yet, referring to the trade that is unmatched for the longest period.
From 9 am – 5 pm, it can be very busy, and I like that I can just get on with things without fuss. Once work is completed, I find I don’t have additional work to complete at home which is great as it allows you to separate your work life from your personal life. As part of the apprenticeship, I also get allocated time off work to attend college or work on my portfolio. Belfast Met provides me with support in achieving the qualifications necessary for the job role. They ensure I have everything I need to ensure I achieve the qualifications and complete my apprenticeship. I have a career plan in place, and I am working towards the completion of my apprenticeship within two years, after which time I hope to continue to progress within my role and with Citi.