Two months ago Courtney Vidales joined the Magenta team as an intern – whilst studying for her degree in Swansea University. She’s fitted in brilliantly with the team and is learning about all the different roles we have at Magenta. Courtney has had a busy summer, working for Magenta and also in retail at Procook, she’s just turned 21 and she got engaged!
She has shared her experience so far for us in this weeks blog.
While in another firebreak lockdown, like many students in my position, I found myself seeking an opportunity. I accomplished this by quite literally spending a whole day searching financial companies and looking at personal recommendations on my local hub.
I came across Magenta through a Facebook page that someone had recommended, so like the other 50 or so businesses, I sent another message.
Magenta were one of the few companies that responded and subsequently, provided me with this opportunity within the profession.
An internship or work experience was something I felt very strongly about, as throughout my degree I have been very apprehensive about my future and which journey I was going to take afterward, with there being various avenues. Working at magenta has given me exactly what I needed. Finding opportunities like this is beneficial in so many ways such as by increasing your employability being just one.
My experience as an intern so far has been incredibly valuable and comforting, knowing that having this insight enables me to educate myself with the inner workings of the profession. In just a short space of time, I have been offered the chance to shadow the different areas behind financial planning and familiarise myself with how everything pieces together, down to the initial engagement and meetings, and throughout the reports and recommendation stages. Some days I even feel like I know clients just from work I have carried out, even though I have never met them.
Working at Magenta has opened me up to new experiences and allowed me to network with new people. Despite being able to use my existing university knowledge, working on the job, and learning as I go, watching other people work has been more useful to me than any book or lecture. Nothing can really prepare you for the world of work in the same way as personally experiencing it.
I remember saying to Gretchen and Allyson in my interview how indecisive I was about the path I wanted to take and that I wanted to explore the different avenues. As a student studying accounting and finance, I was very intrigued by the finance world but starting here at Magenta has helped give me the clarification I wanted. I can genuinely say that working at Magenta as an intern has been the greatest opportunity I have had yet, and I can’t wait to explore further. Every day, I have come into the office and I have just been keen to learn more and more.
I can genuinely say that had I not been given this opportunity, I would not have gained the insight I have and would not have fully considered a career as a financial planner – which is something that I am 100% now contemplating!