Operational Management Apprentice Review
at Fidelity International
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Finance
Lower Kingswood
Review Submitted: March 2023
Overall Rating
4.3 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.8/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
My title was Operational Management Apprentice, working within the banking, reconciliations and control team. I was involved in the reconciliations of client and custodian accounts, including escalation of any discrepancies that arose. I was also responsible for raising and approving manual payments to be distributed internally and to clients of Fidelity.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I thoroughly enjoyed the programme. It offered an alternative route to university, allowing me to earn a salary whilst learning on the job and gaining a qualification. Despite my time being mainly from home, due to covid restrictions, Fidelity ensured I had all the resources I required and allowed me to develop my understanding of the company and industry.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Over the course of the apprenticeship, I was expected to attend courses arranged by Fidelity which aimed to develop interpersonal, management and leadership skills, which I found very useful. I also found adapting to an office environment developed many different skills in terms of communication and presentation skills. Fidelity offers lots of opportunities to develop and learn new skills.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
The programme is very well structured. I had regular catch ups with the early careers team to understand and check in on my goals and progress. It was clear when I was expected to complete exams and when I was expected to complete the overall programme. I found the early careers team were always willing to help and support me.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I found the early careers team were always willing to help and support me. I had regular catch ups with the early careers team and my manager ensured we had a weekly one to one meeting to catch up and offer any support. Fidelity overall was very supportive over the course of the programme.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
1/5
Fitch resources were very useful and most were very up to date. I found this very useful when studying towards the IOC exams. I did however find the mentoring/coaching provided by Fitch to be challenging at times. It can be heard to get hold of your mentor when asking for support or advice and I was made aware that each mentor at Fitch has a huge number of students to look after, which means the support offered is limited, in my opinion. This however is no reflection on Fidelity and was entirely Fitch (the training provider). Fidelity careers team was very helpful in raising my concerns and trying to gain the required support from Fitch.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
The exams touched on a variety on subjects and topics based around financial services and the markets. The qualification enabled me to further understand the company and the wider industry. This allowed me to apply what I had learned to my daily role and therefore understand the reasoning behind some of my daily tasks.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Yes there are events such as quizzes, challenges etc to get involved in. I joined the company during covid lockdown so it was slightly challenging for Fidelity to arrange events but did their best despite the situation. There are nights out available in the Cannon Street office to have cocktails etc which is great to attend as a team.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Fidelity International to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Fidelity looks after their employees, offering competitive benefits. The company ensures you have all the tech and equipment required to perform your role from home and provides an allowance to do so. There is a nice culture in the office and the facilities are excellent. There's a gym onsite at one of the offices which is free to use.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Fidelity International?
Anyone looking to apply to Fidelity International should understand what the company does, how they fit within the industry and understand the challenges and competitors to Fidelity. It's also important to be personable as your personality will go a long way at Fidelity - ultimately people need to fit within a team despite your knowledge.
