Why do you enjoy your job?
There are three things I enjoy the most in my current role. First, Product as a department handles a huge variety of work, which means that I get the chance to work on different tasks and projects, ranging from a fund launch to a prospectus filing. Second, I work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. This means that I get a comprehensive overview of the business and the chance to meet people from various functions, stretching from front-line Sales and Investments to back-end Legal and Compliance. Third, the level of responsibility I have undertaken as the most junior person in the department is beyond expectation. My work has been internally circulated to hundreds of people and externally used in meetings, and I have been trusted to work on things that create business impact, alongside the guidance and support from my manager and senior colleagues.
What is the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging two aspects of my job are technical details and organisational complexity. The nature of Product is, as the name says, related to products offered by Invesco. This means that technical details such as pricing, regulatory guidelines and investment objectives are part of my day-to-day routine. Such details include general ones about the investment management industry and those specific to Invesco, therefore, answers are not readily available on Google. Coming from a non-finance background, I find certain technical concepts difficult to grasp, yet at the same time, I have enjoyed acquiring knowledge in a new field.
The sheer size of Invesco (>7,000 employees worldwide) creates organisational complexity that could be challenging to any new joiner. I have particularly felt this, as my job entails liaison with stakeholders across departments and time zones. This means that there are many names and titles I ought to learn and remember, in order to obtain and deliver information accurately and efficiently. Furthermore, different functions often have their own sets of technical jargons, which is why I have kept my own “Invesco glossary” to facilitate conversations.
How did you get into your job?
I completed three law degrees prior to becoming a full-time worker. Law has always been an academic interest of mine, and I have kept an open mind regarding my career path. Towards the end of my Masters, I discovered Investment20/20 via a LinkedIn job advert by Invesco, which seemed to me a gateway to entering a highly sophisticated industry and a globally-recognised firm. I saw a chance to explore my interest in business, and consolidate my understanding of the financial sector which is crucial to succeeding as a commercial lawyer, should I decide to practise law in the future. As such, after my (surprisingly) enjoyable and fun interview at Invesco, I decided to join the firm and embark on a journey in asset management.
How would you sum up your Investment20/20 experience?
My experience with Invesco and Investment20/20 has been brilliant thus far. I have attended a number of internal and external training sessions on both soft and technical skills. This, alongside the on-the-job training given by people with 10+ years of firm/industry experience, has been hugely beneficial to enhancing my professional competence and knowledge of the investment management industry.
Being part of the Invesco trainee cohort and the wider Investment20/20 community, the amount of peer support (and fun) shared amongst trainees has been fantastic. Not only are we able to share our daily experience at Invesco with each other (we have a WhatsApp group) but also socialise together (regular lunches, for instance), forming the kind of camaraderie I believe is crucial to developing a long-lasting and enjoyable office life.
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