Herbert Scott has recently welcomed two more enthusiastic individuals into the firm to undertake work experience in the field of Financial Planning. It’s been a rewarding opportunity to support young people in developing life skills and exploring potential career paths in financial services.
Here, Samuel Attwood shares his reflections on his time with us. You can read about Sophie Packham’s work experience here.
Herbert Scott is, to put it clearly, an amazing place to do Work Experience.
After spending a week helping out at Herbert Scott in Lewes, having each day after my shift to evaluate on my progression, I have come to the conclusion that Herbert Scott is not only an amazing workplace, full of room for self-learning, development and support, but also the best introduction that I could have had to learn more about the career I’m thinking of going down. Whether I spent my time with Hannah being taught about proper interview techniques, or sitting in with the investment team, observing real-world financial briefings, every single second of my week has been worth it, and a memory that I would love to keep.
The Office
The first thing that anyone would notice as soon as they step through the door is simply how lovely of an atmosphere the office space has! I was greeted with smiling faces, enjoyable conversation, and 10/10 hospitality that I never at all would have expected from such a serious firm. Every single member of the staff is a well-rounded, lovely, helpful, outgoing, team player, and I seriously don’t think that I could have asked for anything more from any of them. It was off to an amazing start.
The Week
I then started off my week in the office helping the lovely Jemma to file reports. Whilst this may seem boring, it actually gave me such valuable insights as to how the admin and logistics of both office-work and financial sector-work influence the industry as a whole. Without even trying to, I picked up new quirks and pieces of knowledge about finance that I had never heard of; deeper understanding of the inner works of pensions and complicated investment schemes; laws and regulations about IHT and divorce settlements. Just these few hours of filing taught me so much about things that I truly need to know – things that I have never been taught.
The Learning
Throughout the rest of the week, I offered myself up to help out wherever was needed. I learnt from Daniel all about how Herbert Scott organises pension schemes (one of the best teachers I could have asked for) and completed risk assessments with the amazing Lisa, actually helping me learn about my own lifestyle and the best financial decisions that I can make to help myself! Hannah taught me about the exams you have to pass to become a chartered financial planner, which despite being incredibly difficult, was a fun and useful way to pass time whenever I was finished with my tasks. And then when I got off at 3:00 everyday, I knew that the next day would only bring more opportunity for improvement and self-progression.
The Summary
As a teenager who knew nothing about finance before this week – I only have a loose grasp on my A-level maths and economics content – I have absolutely nothing to criticise about the way that this past week has passed (and I’m a pretty critical person!). I truly recommend Herbert Scott to anyone, no matter the knowledge you have before the WEX process, or the career path you intend on going down. I have picked up on so many adaptable skills and pieces of life advice that I can’t find a single regret. Thank you Herbert Scott for having me; it has been amazing.