National Careers Week: Getting Onto The Career Ladder With Internships
This National Careers Week we sit down with George Molyneux, who recently joined us for work experience, to hear about his placement with Time Finance and to hear his thoughts on getting onto the career ladder.
With a flair for financial services running through his family, George knew that a work placement would be important if he was going to eventually follow in the footsteps of his family’s brokerage business. Now, as George ends his two-week placement with Time Finance, he reflects on the skills he’s gained and looks ahead to building a career in Finance.
When did you first become interested in financial services?
Before joining Time Finance for my work experience, I didn’t have much knowledge of the industry. But with my dad and grandad both running a brokerage together, I’d often overhear conversations around the dinner table, which sparked my interest from an early age. I’d only ever seen how things work from their side of the table, so it’s been interesting to see how everything comes together on the other side of the deal at Time Finance.
What has a typical day looked like during your work experience?
Everybody has been so helpful throughout my placement. In the two weeks I’ve spent in the Warrington office I’ve had the opportunity to sit with every department at Time Finance, shadowing the different teams and getting to know what their day-to-day roles look like. I’ve enjoyed working with the sales assistants most. I’ve liked seeing how each of the departments work together to complete a deal with the broker and the business.
What have you learnt about Asset Finance?
The main thing I’ve taken away from this experience is a whole new vocabulary, specifically when it comes to the services offered by lenders. When you first go into any industry there’s always new lingo that you need to pick up, but now that I’ve had the chance to sit in on certain conversations in the business, I’m much more confident.
Do you think it’s important to have work experience?
Being at the beginning of my career, I think it’s important to try and find the opportunities to gain new skills and help me get to where I want to be. Having access to work placements with companies like Time Finance is amazing. When people in the industry take the time to sit down with you and answer your questions, big or small, it’s really important to your learning. My goal next would be to secure a position in sales admin or telesales. Through my work experience, I’ve realised that these roles should help me gain the skills I need to enter into the industry. On my days out of the office, I plan to shadow my dad to gain further insight into the finance sector.