We spoke to Murray who's currently based in Kent, working as an Operations Graduate with Fidelity. He told us about his reasons for joining the graduate programme and why not having a finance related degree or any experience working in finance gives him an edge amongst his peers.
What are you up to at Fidelity?
I’m currently on my second rotation of five at Fidelity within the Operations department. I joined in September 2015 after graduating from St Andrews University. It was quite a big move for me as I'd always been based in Scotland but the firm were very welcoming and I had my own buddy George who was a year ahead of me. It was great to have someone to give me advice on where to live, what to expect on my first day and help me find me feet.
How did your experience help you in your role?
I had no experience of working in a financial institution but the experience I did have helped me to develop essential transferable skills like problem solving and relationship building. I have an International Relations degree but that didn't put me off applying because Fidelity want talented individuals who can be disruptive in the organisation. Being disruptive means bringing a fresh perspective to meetings, being able to view things from a new angle and being analytical in your approach to problem solving.
Do you enjoy what you do?
I was promised at the interview that I would never be bored in my role and that promise has been kept. I move roughly every six months from one rotation to the next, so I'm always meeting new people across the business and learning every day. We deal with customers and clients and there's always something we can change to the processes to make their experience better.
The training at Fidelity was excellent and helped me settle into the role. Plus, in my first couple of months I gained my Investment Operations Certificate (IOC) and Investment Management Certificate (IMC).
The Operations team is really social and we often plan socials and dinners, which is great for me starting work in a new region.
How much responsibility do you have?
Operations is the engine room at Fidelity and if something goes wrong then the company wouldn’t be able to operate. Our department is hugely important and there’s a steep learning curve but it's incredibly interesting. There are few roles that offer real responsibility like leading meetings, collecting actions from senior directors and managing a team but all of these responsibilities are included as part of my five rotations.
If you could go back in time what advice would you give yourself?
I was a little worried that others starting the programme would have finance related degrees but actually Fidelity are looking for people with a certain set of skills - those who are innovative and can challenge the status quo.
My top tips would be to think about what your transferable skills are. If you don’t have a financial degree you might look at things differently and that will benefit the team. From what I'd learnt during my degree I was able to bring people together, excel at problem solving and take a different angle on things from the customers’ point of view. Fidelity want graduates who can make a difference.
What are looking forward to in your role moving forward?
Managing a team and continuing to be disruptive.
For more information on Fidelity and their current vacancies check out their Employer Profile here.