Role: Associate-investigator in Enforcement, Investigations and Threshold Conditions (Enforcement)
I joined the graduate programme at the FSA because it was one that I thought held the most potential to gain the experience that I wanted. I’ve been here over a year and it’s nice to know that I was right. Because it’s such a huge organisation, when I started, I did find it a little intimidating but the whole atmosphere here is very welcoming and supportive that I soon felt at home. The people here genuinely want you to do well and succeed.
I work on two teams at the moment. In Enforcement, I investigate firms that have breached FSA rules, conducting interviews with firms’ staff, draft key documents, as well as reviewing evidence and calculating fines. Our team is fairly small so I get a lot of responsibility and really get to know the firms I deal with. I also work on the Threshold Conditions Team. In this team, we deal with the small firms that don’t meet the basic requirements for being authorised. We encourage and support them to comply with regulations and have the power to stop them trading if they refuse. It involves a lot of legal processes and, as I manage many of these cases on my own, it can be very challenging work.
Being on two teams, in roles that carry a lot of responsibility has been a steep learning curve. I can’t think of anywhere else where I would have learnt so much. It’s really improved my organisation and communication skills, and has definitely made me more confident.
I couldn’t recommend the scheme enough. The trust they place in you straight away really spurs you on. And you get so many opportunities to learn plus all the training you need. I didn’t study economics at university, so I wasn’t what you would call an expert in finance, but they appreciate that people are from all different backgrounds with individual skills that they can bring to the roles – and the benefits package is great.
