Liam Mckenzie

Home / Career Developemnt / Alumni programme / Alumni stories / Liam Mckenzie

Standard Life Investments

Client Services Trainee |

School/College Leaver

Why do you enjoy your job?

I work within the strategy and operations team which is a part of the Global Client Group and sits on the UK sales floor. I help to improve the quality of data we provide clients by developing tools to easily generate reports and by keeping track of the month’s sales. I also assist clients with any questions they have on the reports and get involved with other projects led by my team. I believe that I have been given a unique opportunity, one in which I can visibly see the intricacies of Standard Life Investments’ structure and how what I do aligns with the organisation’s strategy.

What is the most challenging thing about your job?

As I had no prior financial background a lot of the terminology was new to me so the learning curve was extremely steep. Every one of my colleagues is very committed to helping me learn and hone the knowledge that I have acquired over the last seven months in my new role. They have also given advice on how to incorporate the skills that I learned at school into a professional environment.

How did you get into your job?

I joined Standard Life Investments* fresh out of school in August 2014 as I didn’t feel university was the right path for me at the time. I researched the company and was really excited by the scale and the global footprint of the organisation. Several months later and after a rigorous application process, I am working in my new role and experiencing so many opportunities which are really helping my career to advance.

How would you sum up your Investment20/20 experience?

Overall I would say that Standard Life Investments is a great company to work for – everyone is extremely approachable and the employee benefits are outstanding. There are also numerous learning sessions which I can attend. I recently went to one that was focused on our business based in Australia which was fascinating. Another great aspect of these events is that you get to meet new contacts within the organisation which helps you significantly expand your network.