Client Resolutions Apprentice

Growing Through Challenge: My First Year as an Apprentice

When I left sixth form, I knew one thing for certain: university wasn’t the path for me. Sitting in lecture halls felt too far removed from the “real world” I was eager to experience. An apprenticeship, especially at a company known for developing people, felt like the right step toward further learning, independence and growth.

Settling In and Learning the Language of Finance

Joining Fidelity was smoother than I expected. Training and insight days gave me time to find my footing before stepping into the team. The biggest early challenge wasn’t the work itself, but the terminology; finance felt like its own language. With help from my teammates, mentors and even people outside my department, the jargon slowly became familiar and my confidence grew alongside it.

Building Self‑Belief in the First Six Months

Those early months were less about technical difficulty and more about trusting myself. I often found I already knew the answer, I just needed the confidence to believe in myself. Balancing my qualification studies with real client work pushed me too, but the structure, study days and relevance of the content made it manageable and even enjoyable after years of school-based learning.

What surprised me most was the variety. No two days look the same: one moment I can be helping an adviser, the next I can be supporting a wealth client. New people, new conversations, new challenges. The constant variety keeps me engaged and motivated.

Support That Goes Beyond the Role

For me, the culture has been the standout part of the experience. My team strikes a balance between diligence and humour, creating an environment that feels worlds away from the high‑pressure stereotypes of finance. My colleagues check in on me, I have monthly meetings with my mentor, and even casual gym chats turn into chances to learn. A buddy from the cohort above helped me navigate my first months, and across the business, people make themselves available whenever I reached out. Before joining, I assumed finance might be closed off or intimidating. What I found instead was openness, support and people at every level willing to help.

Joshua’s Advice for Future Apprentices

Joshua’s message is simple: be yourself. Apprenticeships aren’t about having all the answers, they’re about becoming the person who will.