Huge congratulations to Edward who has managed to secure an role at Standard Life Aberdeen which he heard about through one of our email campaigns. Here he goes into a bit of detail on how he managed to achieve his internship.
Why did you choose this firm and this role?
As Aberdeen Asset Management has recently merged with Standard Life, it made the firm one of the largest asset managers in Europe. Therefore, I knew there would be a great amount of opportunity to develop in this company, especially with distribution (sales) as the firm is restructuring many of its funds. Also, the assessment centre was enjoyable! I was given the opportunity to speak to the graduates currently working there, which showed that this was a company that really cared about its interns and graduates.
What was the toughest part of the application process? And your favourite part?
Probably the tests! They were quite different from your standard numerical and verbal tests. They required you to think a bit more and work quickly and efficiently. I would say the most enjoyable part was my individual interview with an HR representative and a senior employee within distribution at the firm. It was a great opportunity to show your skills and understand in more detail about the role. It was also great to hear that during the internship I’ll be given real work that will be of value to the firm.
Were you surprised by anything in the process?
I was particularly surprised by how interested they were in your personality and your extracurricular activities. Most companies in this industry ask a great deal of technical questions. The fact that Aberdeen differs from this norm shows how much they care about you as a person in addition to your technical ability.
What three top tips would you give your fellow Bright Network members?
Make sure you familiarise yourself with their tests prior to completing them. Ensure that you understand the challenges that are currently facing the industry. Be honest in your interview, they are interested in you as a person, not what you think they want you to be!
What was the toughest question you faced at interview?
How has Mifid affected Aberdeen Asset Management specifically?
