During my first week
I've been getting a real feel for the business in my first week, experiencing the divisions within the company, from the financing planning to the administrative side of Bartholomew and Hawkins. Starting with getting to know the main systems used such as Intelligent Office.
In my introductory week I also have learned there is a lot more beneath the surface of financial planning than I first thought. For instance I had no idea money was pumped into funds rather than shares, and these funds are the body which invests the money of the clients.
Learning from meetings
By sitting in on the investment committee meeting I had the chance to see the way Bartholomew Hawkins selected each these funds when developing their client portfolios and found it fascinating.
Any spare time during working hours I had was spent researching any key words I hadn’t come across during my studies using sites such as Investopedia and FT.com. I also took the chance the look into the funds Bartholomew Hawkins choose in more depth to get a feel for why this fund was chosen and how it may have performed over the years, and the managers’ strategies when finding the right areas to invest in.
What I'm learning from the different departments at Bartholomew Hawkins...
This week I had the chance to get an insight into the finance department of Bartholomew Hawkins, this is something that I was very interested in as this is right in line with my course at University, so seeing the systems used and how an accountant may operate in the real world was an important experience for me.
In my second year of University I have really had to develop my knowledge of balance sheets and profit and loss accounts so seeing these being produced by the system was something I needed to increase my awareness of.
Another division I had the chance to experience this week was the mortgage and protection one. I had an insight into how a client goes about using BH to help them get a mortgage or protection. Seeing how mortgages work and how to get the most out of it is something I think everyone needs to learn for when they finally move out of mum and dad’s!
What I'm looking forward to...
One thing I am looking forward to getting to see is how a marketing department is integrated within a financial business and what this department is required to do. As I have grown up along with the rise of social media websites I would like to see how Bartholomew Hawkins uses these sites to their advantage.
This article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. Please contact your usual adviser at Bartholomew Hawkins Chartered Financial Planners if you have any questions relating to your own personal circumstances. Contact details can be found on our Meet the Team page on our website http://www.bhifa.co.uk/meet-team/ . The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax advice.