Urban Synergy’s work experience programmes for 2024 has begun! This is the final part of a joint programme with M&G and Urban Synergy delivering a series of workshops to upskill and also provide insights to careers in the Finance industry.
Twelve of our mentees arrived bright and early for a one week onsite placement at M&G plc in the City of London. The students learned about the M&G business which was enlightening, as many young people don’t realise that the finance industry also includes core sectors within the business i.e. Legal, Human Resources, Marketing, Sales, Technology as well as other areas.
The students learned about investment management and careers at M&G from the professionals, apprentices and graduates, so it was a great opportunity to ask lots of questions about roles and responsibilities and also about the early careers available. The students were also tasked with delivering presentations to an M&G audience with one of the Urban Synergy team also in attendance and they also got to experience a mock assessment centre - good practice for the real thing when they begin applying for opportunities.
Thank you to Sasha Kaur Riar and Nicole Nutt and all of the M&G volunteers for supporting our students for the week.
Survey results
- 100% of the students said they were more confident in following instructions, writing CVs, being interviewed, teamwork, workplace etiquette, problem-solving, and presentation skills.
- 100% of the students said they improved their communication skills, timekeeping, teamwork, self-confidence, personal responsibility, professional working, teamwork, networking & workplace understanding.
- 100% would like to work for M&G in the future.
Student feedback
"It surprised me how much an asset management firm like M&G was focused on their employees’ mental health"
"I have learned about different career paths I could take, I also learned about M&G and gained valuable insight into asset management"
"The work experience showed me what it’s like to work for M&G, I also gained tips on how to answer interview questions. It has given me more knowledge of the world of work and different sectors of a company"
"I was surprised to learn how many roles there were within asset management"
"I have learned to practice the star method, to research business analysis as a career path and to network and reach out more"
