Jobs and Careers Spring 2020 - 63

SPRING 2020

Matt
Cordas

MARKETING
BUSINESS
MANAGER
"I've worked for SJP
for six and a half years, having joined at 18
as an apprentice. It's a business built on a
strong culture, so the people, networking
and personal development opportunities
here are second-to-none. My first
manager encouraged the motto 'You can
tell a lot about someone by their shoes',
which has stayed with me ever since!
"A key driver to SJP's culture is the
charitable foundation - 88% of partners
and employees donate every month, and
there's a vibrant calendar of fundraising
activities. Over £93m has been donated to
charity since the early 1990s and it's now
one of the largest corporate foundations
in the UK. In 2014 I took on a running
challenge, covering more than 5km every
day for a year, raising over £12,000.
"There isn't just one thing you can do
to climb a given career ladder - there
are so many elements. You could have
all the skills and educational studies in
the bag, yet if you lack the interpersonal
and people skills, it may take you longer
to get there. There are plenty of things
you need to learn and develop within,
but don't rush it. Enjoy the journey
you and those around you are on."

Akhil
Shah

CORPORATE
FINANCE ANALYST
"After two years of
graduate rotations,
I found my place with SJP's corporate
finance team. I was lucky enough to
work on our first securitisation project,
a ground-breaking transaction that
I'm proud to have been a part of.
"I've had some phenomenal managers
who haven't been afraid of having honest
conversations with me, which I've really
benefited from. While I was on rotation,
one of my managers was an exceptional
mentor and coach who really helped

JC Spring 2020 SJP F.indd 63

Sophie
Lorusso

EARLY CAREERS
RECRUITER
"Having been an
apprentice myself,
I'm now responsible for the recruitment of
apprentices, graduates and interns, which
amounts to about 50 people per year.
"It was a rewarding experience
being on programme where I was able
to work on developing my soft skills
alongside completing my level 3 business
administration qualification. It helped me
understand the corporate functions that
exist within a company like SJP.
"During my apprenticeship I took
a lead role in organising our summer
foundation event, attended by more than
500 people. We raised over £40,000 for
charity, which is something I am proud
of. It was a challenge balancing work
commitments with studying, alongside a
Duke of Edinburgh award, but I learned
some great time-management skills.
"I still look back at my DofE silver
award and can't quite believe I achieved
it - it pushed me out of my comfort zone
and I learned so much. My advice to
anyone starting a similar programme is
to be open-minded. I didn't know what
I wanted to do at such an early stage
of my career, but I now have a great
understanding of the business."

develop my soft skills; by using the
insights tool I've learned everyone has
a different style of communication and
I have adapted my style accordingly.
Coaching and mentoring others on
the early careers path is now important
to me and I'm always happy to lend
an ear to someone on programme. I'd
advise others coming up through the
graduate scheme to not get distracted
by anyone else's career path. It's OK to
do something different. It is the people
you work with that's important rather
than the work you do, so research the
culture of the organisation to make sure
the fit is right. And don't be afraid to
ask others for help - they will remember
what it is like to be in your shoes."

Edie
Cooke

INVESTMENT
ANALYST
"The early careers
programme
provided a valuable route into
the company, specifically into the
investment analyst team - I am
proud to have been their first ever
apprentice. The learning curve was
steep, but I very much enjoyed the
fast-paced and challenging work.
"I passed the investment advice
diploma and investment management
certificate and feel set up for future
study. Recently, I was given the chance
to attend an overseas trip to meet a
selection of our fund managers in the
US, which was an amazing experience.
"I try to produce work to the
highest standard possible, and I
enjoy the analytical element of my
role, especially when collaborating
with like-minded team members.
"There is a lot invested in those
candidates joining an early careers
programme, so you can feel in the
spotlight. But I would place emphasis
on having a good attitude and
energy, working hard on all tasks
regardless of importance, and always
seeking ways to add value to people
and processes when possible."

For more information
For details about early careers
with St. James's Place please
email early.careers@sjp.co.uk

18/05/2020 21:30
Jobs and Careers Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers Spring 2020
