Below, Joshua has outlined his experience on FCA’s Authorisations Graduate scheme, providing insight into what makes FCA so unique and why the programme is so fulfilling.
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What is your role and how long have you been at the FCA?
I’m Joshua, and I joined FCA’s Authorisations Graduate scheme in October 2022. I’m currently working in the Authorisations - Payments & Digital Assets department.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background before starting at the FCA?
I graduated from University of Sussex in 2022 after studying Law with Business. Towards the end of my second year, I took part in a Diversity & Inclusion event called the Black Heritage Futures Programme (BFP). Through this programme, I earned a place on the (mostly remote) 2021 Summer Internship at FCA, which was a great opportunity to kickstart my career. Just over a year later, I started the 2022 Authorisations Graduate Scheme.
What inspired you to apply for this role/this company?
To be honest I hadn’t considered a career at the FCA before the D&I event. I was scouring LinkedIn one afternoon, thoroughly unsure of where I would be starting my career when I came across a post by the Bright Network. It was an advert for the BFP.
I was immediately impressed by the initiative because D&I was high on my list of considerations when researching roles. It gave the impression that the FCA was a people-focused organisation that took its social responsibility seriously.
The colleagues I spoke to during the BFP, and my internship, made it clear that working at the FCA gives you a birds-eye-view of the financial industry that you can’t find elsewhere. This was all enough to convince me that it would be a great place to start my career, and it’s been exactly that! FCA continues to place high importance on D&I, which is why it’s a great place to work.
What has been the single most important thing you learnt so far in your job?
The most important lesson I’ve learnt is that when you’re presented with an opportunity at work that makes you nervous, that’s even more of a reason to try it out. You’ll grow the most by stepping out of your comfort zone, and by nature, this might feel uncomfortable but try to embrace that feeling and give it your best shot.
What would a ‘normal’ day look like for someone in your role?
A good day always starts with a good coffee. If I’m in the office, I’ll typically spend a few minutes catching up with my colleagues. Hybrid working means I might go a few days without seeing those around the department, so a quick chat is always nice.
After that, my agenda changes day-to-day. I’m in a project team and naturally, our schedule can be unpredictable at times. I spend a lot of time in meetings speaking to internal & external stakeholders and make sure to check my inbox regularly. The bulk of my day is dedicated to working on delivering outcomes in the various work streams I’m involved with, but priorities can change at any point and soon enough I’ll be working on something else. This brings real variety to my role, which I really enjoy.
The Graduate Programme offers tons of things that aren’t as readily available for most colleagues. There are training sessions and development programmes that are exclusive to Graduates, on top of the ones offered more generally. It’s a good opportunity to brush up my skills so I get involved as much as I can.
Generally I’ve been given a lot more responsibility than I expected this early and have even led on a couple of projects. While this has been daunting, I’m grateful for the trust shown in me and the opportunities to challenge myself.
What do you find most interesting with the sector/industry you’re in?
The FCA is a huge organisation with thousands of staff and hundreds of teams. It’s fascinating sometimes to sit and think of the number of projects we’re involved in. The variety of work is enormous - I know so many people who have been at the FCA for decades but feel like they’ve had many unique experiences.
The organisation also aims to be as innovative as possible and it’s interesting to witness our remit and priorities shift regularly, so no two days are the same which is great!
How important is diversity to you and what is the FCA doing in this space at the moment?
As I said earlier, contribution to diversity & inclusion was high on my list when searching for my ideal employer. I wanted to work somewhere that values diversity of thought and works towards removing as many social barriers as possible.
My journey with the FCA started with a D&I event so I can only say positive things about our work in this space. There are many networks within the FCA focused on gathering people from similar backgrounds to share their experiences and mentor each other. I will say, though, that there is still so much work that the FCA can do to become even more diverse.
What is the company culture like?
The culture at the FCA is excellent. My colleagues are super intelligent and experienced but also supportive enough to help where they can. When I’m stuck, I can always find someone willing to jump on a call and offer some input. It makes work easier and a lot more enjoyable.
Finally, any tips for anyone who’d like to apply for a role at FCA?
- The FCA takes its values and core skills seriously. To successfully apply, you’ll need to research what they mean and how you can demonstrate your strengths during your assessment.
- Involve yourself in some extracurricular and volunteering opportunities. Not only will it be great for your personal development and the wider community, but it demonstrates that you’ve helped deliver some interesting work alongside your studies/current job.
- Network as much as you can. Look for FCA colleagues on LinkedIn, ideally someone from your area or school/university, and reach out! The tips and experience they can provide you will be so useful.
- Don’t pretend to be someone else, just show the FCA the best version of you!
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Sound exciting? Learn more about FCA and their current opportunities here.