Henrietta Akindele

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Janus Henderson Investors

HR Trainee |

Graduate

Why do you enjoy your job?

I have recently joined the HR Coordinator team and it has been an amazing experience so far. HR is made up of a variety of areas including Learning and Development, Payroll, Pensions, Recruitment; the list goes on. My specific role is quite broad and allows me to get involved in all aspects of HR every day. Working in my team, no day is the same and this is what keeps me interested. I am an organised person and always want to create order in any environment I am in. Working in HR allows me to do just that. As well as to fully exercise my strong communication skills; whether it be orally or via email. Furthermore, I have gained a significant amount of confidence in liaising and speaking with colleagues in much more senior positions as this is all part of the job.

What is the most challenging thing about your job?

The most challenging part of working in HR could be the fact that there is absolutely no room for error. Of course, we all make mistakes, however it is a requirement to have great attention to detail. It is crucial for us to be as accurate as possible with the information we send out. All parts of the business rely on us from the CEOs to line managers to fellow colleagues and even clients outside of the business.

We are the central processing unit of the business: everything and everyone goes through us to function effectively; so that can put a lot of pressure on us as a team. However with the right attitude and level of resilience, I am able to work through it successfully. Also as I am new to the role, my team has been very supportive in providing on the job training and showing me how to carry out particular tasks first hand so I can eventually tackle queries and various tasks on my own.

How did you get into your job?

My journey to HR at Janus Henderson Investors has been a little unusual. I graduated in BEng Medical Engineering at Queen Mary University of London followed by an MSc in Performing Arts Medicine at University College London. I have always had a love and interest for anything maths and science related, however not as a career. I worked briefly at a bank, lived and worked in Shenzhen, China for a year and came back to teach at a boarding school – but didn’t feel fulfilled. A friend introduced me to the Investment20/20 website and I realised the career potential for me.

Investment20/20 gave me a chance to finally step into the corporate world and live my dream of utilising all of my skills and interests in a HR position where I truly am able to make a positive difference to people’s lives; both internal employees and external clients. Above all, I am always learning new things in my role and Janus Henderson Investors has been extremely supportive in ensuring that I gain more knowledge and practical skills in the world of Investment Management by sponsoring me to gain my choice of an IMC or CFA Investment Foundation qualification.

What are your future aspirations?

Within my first two weeks of working at Janus Henderson Investors, I was told I had the potential to be in a director or managerial role within the next couple of years. That was extremely inspiring and encouraging and has motivated me even more to work towards obtaining a senior position in HR within the next three years by taking advantage of the help and support I am currently receiving and studying for those qualifications that can aid my career progression.

How would you sum up your Investment20/20 experience?

Investment20/20 has literally been an angel in the sense that it has opened up many doors for me, given me an opportunity to finally start my career and still supports me along the way by inviting me to social and other networking events, where I am able to meet with likeminded people in the industry.