Middle Office Administrator Review

World First offers a variety of different roles and opportunities. For me, in Middle Office, it offers an insight into foreign exchange markets and international economics whilst working in an energetic, supportive and professional working environment. All employees are hardworking and very friendly and approachable, making it very easy to make the most of the placement experience.

I was given a great deal of responsibility from very early on, and this only grew with time. I was made to feel valued in that my suggestions and comments that I raised to my manager were always taken on and followed up. I was praised when I worked to a particularly high standard and was made to feel part of a team, rather than a placement student shadowing colleagues.

Working in this industry is always going to be relatively busy, but at World First you won't find yourself inundated with work keeping you in the office long after the end of the working day. If the workload does get a bit heavy, the aforementioned friendly colleagues will also lend a helping hand. The workload is fairly consistent throughout the working day, which means you're always occupied and the day flies by.

I learned a lot during my placement at World First, not just technical knowledge that will assist me in my final year of university and my future career, but skills which are not necessarily role-specific. As the workload is fairly consistent throughout the day, you quickly learn to manage your time efficiently, prioritising tasks and multi-tasking frequently. These are all skills which will assist you in the future regardless of the industry you go on to work in.

The atmosphere is very positive at World First. People are very friendly and welcoming, as hot-desking is common. It is supportive, relaxed but professional at the same time. It can also be quite lively during busy periods, which is exciting and helps make the day fly by, which it frequently does! Overall, the atmosphere is very enjoyable to work in and is one of the key things that appealed to me when I first entered the office.

The placement was very well organised. On day 1 I was up and running, and was given a development plan for my time at the company. This plan was stuck to, with regular meetings with my manager to ensure I was progressing, but also to allow me to highlight particular areas of the business I would like to learn more about. The placement was flexible as well as organised which really allowed me to make the most of it.

Future prospects are promising at World First, and I have been told that if I wish to return to World First after graduation that the chances of me getting a job back here are very high. That said, the industry is not the most stable as we have seen in recent years, so there can be no real guarantee what the future holds. I have, however, been very impressed with management's transparency regarding future plans, and from what I have seen I believe the future looks bright for World First.

World First is a very sociable company. All placement students and colleagues get on alike, there is no segregation or difference in treatment. There were 2 other placement students at World First while I was there, who I was introduced to early on, which was helpful. It was in this meeting that I was informed of the work football team, which we all ended up playing on, so I would therefore say the social scene was very good.

Unsurprisingly, with the office being located in the heart of London, the cost of living and socialising was fairly high. That said, the wage given to placement students at World First goes a long way to offsetting this, as it is larger than most other placement schemes. Although pricey, you will be able to easily find somewhere both homely and affordable to live in during your placement, with plenty of choices being available within a short tube, train or bus journey.

Being located in London meant the nightlife was very good. The array of public transport also helps, as you can be anywhere in London within 20 minutes from leaving the office. There is a very nice pub just around the corner where colleagues often go to socialise after work, and further on there are plenty of bars and nightclubs for work socials and leaving drinks etc. The nightlife in London is brilliant.

I joined the World First football team early on and loved every minute. It's a great way to meet people across the business. Social events are also put on regularly for all employees to enjoy (bowling, tickets to sporting events etc.) On top of this, there are plenty of charity events (e.g. London marathon) you can get involved in!