Insight Participant Review

It was very good with trading exercises that provided a real insight into the type of work that employees at M&G do. I unexpectedly really enjoyed the risk element of investing money in companies when working in groups.

The company really did treat us well, by respecting us as individuals and also treating us like an employee in a way, and not like an outsider to M&G Prudential.

I recieved great guidance, with the employees being not too far away if any guidance was needed for the tasks set. Although some parts may have been challenging, working as a team together in the insight meant we overcame any problems. We were also given instructions throughout the process and regular feedback on how we were doing, hence giving us an idea of what to do in the next round to improve, as this was a constant learning process.

The skills that I developed included taking risks, and this applies beyond just studies as it shows the higher the risk you take, the higher the reward you will earn. It means in life you have to take the leap of faith instead of simply doing what’s comfortable to grow more as a person.

Very well structured as we were even given a sheet of what was happening at what time. We were also given regular short breaks which I enjoyed quite a lot, and even included refreshments which was very good as it insures we were all energetic and prepared for what’s to come.

Very welcoming and intellectually stimulating was the environment. The culture was one where we could always learn from one another and not be afraid to ask for advice no matter how big or small the question.

The firm invested in me by selecting me to attend, allowing to participate in tasks which has increased my awareness regarding in the area, as well as providing me with great connections and insights into M&G Prudential which I cannot wait to explore and see where this takes me on my journey.

What helped the most with gay was definitely the graduate panel, where it was an open discussion panel with questions asked by us, and they answered some asked by me regarding work-life balance which seemed to be quite good at this company, with one employee even stating how she moved from another big investment bank to M&G Prudential in a full time position simply because of the culture.

It really did help as I could tell the employees were simply being hemselves as they spoke with passion when talking about what they do for their clients, and how they lived volunteering. The culture is also one that is slightly more chilled in the sense that there isn’t lots of late nights in the office like many other investment banks have which I enjoyed- providing work-life balance.

It was really good as first of all I was unsure about investment banking because first of all I’m from a non-finance background and secondly, I don’t know what people do in the finance industry specifically other than what I know being an outsider from this. It’s made me consider a job which includes risk and finance.

It didn’t cost me much since I travelled form Birmingham, but I knew individuals who travelled much further than myself and who weren’t reimbursed. I understand that sometimes costs can be high, but maybe for future considerations the company could help towards travel costs, even if it is only up to £20 per person, as every little does help.

Yes, the networking session provided me with these opportunities but also having speakers such as directors of finance come to speak to us was a great insight and form of networking, especially as we were encouraged to connect through channels such as LinkedIn. This was very good as it means the communication carries on and doesn’t just stop after this insight.

Amazing networking opportunities were provided by having ‘Networking and Lunch’ where graduates and participants would have lunch but also stand around and network by having insightful conversations. Through these i managed to expand my networks and gain insight into how it feels like to work at the company, and kept in touch via LinkedIn.

Yes, I was informed of the volunteering opportunities given to employees which I thought was a great initiative. For example some volunteer at local schools to help young hildren with their GCSE’s or empowering them to work for a company like M&G not only empower employees but truly inspires the younger generation.

Yes definitely. It was so insightful to see more in depth what the company does and how the employees truly feel, through the graduate panel discussion as well as having any questions we may have answered. The whole experience was very enlightening and I’m glad I was selected to participate in this.