Milly. Client Service Analyst - Investment Banking

Milly is a twenty-five-year-old Client Service Analyst from London. She has been working in Investment Banking for nearly two years.

How did you get into your field? What inspired you?

‘Ever since studying Economics in Year 12, I always knew I wanted to go into the finance world, but I didn’t know what specifically interested me or what I wanted to do. My Dad was an FX Trader which exposed me to the Investment Banking life throughout my years growing up so I guess this was my inspiration even if I didn’t know it at the time.’

‘I applied to my current role off the back of mismatched work experience (from a variety of different fields including sport, fashion and marketing) and a year travelling the world. 4 interviews later I was offered the job - a combination of luck and good timing as my manager just happened to be looking for an external graduate. This is quite rare as 95% of graduates are hired through the internship schemes they offer. Since then, I have taken every opportunity that has come my way and cemented myself into my current role.’

What did you study at school and university and did this help you get into your field?

‘I studied Economics at both A Level and at the University of Nottingham. This didn't necessarily help me get into my field as my colleagues come from an array of different backgrounds including Law, Computer Science and Languages. What my degree did teach me was undeniable and transferable analytical skills that only some courses expose you too. My dissertation in my final year especially, gave me insight into economic modelling which is a desirable skill when applying for roles in Investment Banking and most probably gave me an edge over other candidates.’

Do you recommend any particular studies, courses or degrees for your field?

‘I would predominately recommend any STEM degree, however anyone with relevant experience or interest in Investment Banking would do well in the industry. As Investment Banking is so broad and covers a wide range of different organisations including Legal, Compliance, Operations, Risk, Client Service and Sales - you don’t have to have an interest or be knowledgable solely in coding or modelling to succeed.’

What does an average day look like in your role?

‘My average day is fairly long and extremely fast paced. I start between 7:30am and 8:30am and finish around 6pm working on a busy trading floor of more than 1000 people. I work as a Client Service Analyst for our FXPB Business in the Global Clearing Organisation. I spend my day answering and redirecting client queries as well monitoring variables such as limits, risk exposure and trades. My role also gives me the flexibility to dive head first into any project that appeals to me. I am focusing on our client agenda - working with many departments on how to give a better experience to our clients and grow and improve our business model.’

What is the best part of your role?

‘The best part of my role is definitely building, maintaining or repairing relations with our clients. I am quite a chatty person, so really enjoy establishing myself as the ‘go to’ contact in our business. There is no better feeling than solving a client query and calling them up to give them the good news! Receiving recognition and praise from notable and famous Hedge Funds keeps me going and encourages me to keep evolving into a better businesswomen.’

What is the worst part of your role?

‘The worst part of my role is most probably the fact I have to rely on other teams to often complete queries on my behalf. I am essentially the middle man and require teams based all over the world to action and resolve the client’s issues. Although it is great to work with so many individuals, sometimes this not only proves challenging when dealing with global teams in different regions, but also frustrating when you could complete the task in 1/10th of the time. I guess that is something you have to learn to accept when you work for one of the biggest banks in the world - a lot of red tape hindering your efficiency!’

How important is work/life balance to you and how much spare time do you have?

‘Work/life balance for me is extremely important considering a lot of my time is spent at the office. I work out in the mornings (and get up very early to do so) but this is my personal choice. I always leave my evenings free to see friends, go for dinners or attend client or work drinks. Thankfully because I work in Markets - every issue has to be resolved on the respective day, which means as soon as I leave the office I can switch off as I have nothing looming and I can come into the office with a fresh head ready to go again.’

Do you have any hobbies?

‘I love all sports and work out five times a week at an F45 studio in the city. I have also kept up my love for netball (I played throughout school and university) and play for both the JP Morgan netball team and a social mixed team. Netball reminds me of being back at uni - playing with my friends and switching off for 60 minutes. Playing for the work team has also introduced me to many inspiring and powerful females who all share a similar interest - and in an extremely male dominated environment this is very rare to find!’

Do you have any advice for people looking to start a career in the same field?

‘My advice would definitely be to apply early! Not everyone is fortunate enough to know what they want to do when they are at school or university - but if you do and working for a large investment bank is your dream then you definitely need to act fast. There are a variety of school leavers programmes, work experience, internships that will set you up extremely well for a full time job offer upon graduation. If you are only discovering your passion for Investment Banking at a later stage, then definitely get your CV and profile out on LinkedIn and reach out to individuals (even people you don’t know) to ask for work experience as you never know what opportunities they may know of.’

Have you ever experienced any uncertainties about your career? What did you do to overcome them?

‘As I mentioned before, I have wanted to go into this field ever since school, I just didn’t know what specifically interested me. The main uncertainties I experienced were around whether the role I secured was what I really desired upon graduation. I was extremely fortunate to be offered a job, however after starting I quickly realised it was not for me and was in the wrong field. After applying for new roles and not receiving anything back, I plucked up the courage to take the rest of the year out and go travelling and I couldn’t recommend this enough. These days society puts pressure on young adults to dive straight into their careers especially with their large student debts to pay off. Please do not feel this pressure - it is ok to take a year or two out and explore the world or learn a new skill or hobby. You will never have this time again after you find yourself in a role you truly love!’

Who is your biggest female inspiration and why?

‘My biggest female inspiration is without a doubt Serena Williams. Known for being body confident, powerful, extremely talented and successful, she always encourages me not to worry about other people and focus on my own goals and to go and smash them!’