As I reflect on my first few weeks at Capital, I thought it would be useful to introduce myself and share my story as I come from a background that is not the typical route into the finance industry!
I studied at the University of Leeds and graduated in 2019 after four years of politics and a year in industry, where I worked at Toyota Manufacturing UK in their HR department. After leaving university, I went to live in Canada for 6 months, working during the snow season, which was great fun. Like a lot of people travelling during that time, I returned to the UK due to the implications of COVID. It was during this challenging time that I began my job hunt, like a lot of graduates, without too much idea of what I really wanted to do!
I found a graduate role at a large tech firm you may have heard of called Amazon, where I began my career in their logistics department.
I was promoted within eight months and moved to work as an area manager in a fulfilment centre, looking after a team of around 60 associates. I worked in this role for around a year before moving into a new opportunity as a programme manager. I was with Amazon for just under three years, and both the experience and exposure I had to different skills and challenges have been invaluable to my future career here at Capital.
I’ve always had a passion for building relationships with people and learning about the different backgrounds of people’s lives. I first sparked an interest in pursuing financial planning through a good friend of mine who is a financial planner and hearing what he did ignited a spark of curiosity about the profession. This interest grew as time went on, and I began to contact more and more people within the sector to understand what the job entailed, what the career path looked like, and how they got into it, to begin with.
I feel very lucky to have been introduced to some fantastic people during this time, all of whom have very inspiring careers. I utilised this time to gain as much advice as possible and understand what my career path might look like if I were to pursue it. I knew it would be a challenge, as I didn’t have any prior financial experience. However, I was lucky enough to sit down for coffee with Alan to hear his story and future plans, which were both inspiring and exciting.
This conversation led to the interview process, which brought me to where I am today. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given a chance to pursue this career in such an exceptional business, and I am thoroughly looking forward to being a part of the team at Capital and speaking (and hopefully meeting) with you soon.
Olivia
