Philip Taylor
University: Leeds
Degree Subject: Economics
As the only company in the interdealer broking sector offering such a placement for first year students I saw ICAP as a company who truly believes in the value of hiring potential graduates
The first two days were something of a crash course in the financial world with particular reference to the markets in which ICAP operate. Although there was a lot to take in I feel those two days of training along with the online content could prove invaluable for my preparation for future internships. The next day another course was provided in broker etiquette where a lot of new and helpful information was provided for the following day when I spent time on the broking desk of the Asian currencies. This was certainly the most exciting part of the week and really stimulated my interest in the number of different markets in which ICAP deal
It was the first experience for me of working in the financial industry and I can truly say I believe my future career path certainly belongs in this particular industry. I think this is a glowing reference for the Industry Insight programme as I am now determined more than ever to succeed in this industry and this is in no small part thanks to the experiences of the Industry Insight week.
I believe the programme to be a great insight into not just interdealer broking but also the financial world as a whole which is attributed to the depth of training received when undertaking the programme. At the time the training can arguably be the most unexciting aspect of the week but to know now that I can take the knowledge I have gained into future job applications is very reassuring and I have no doubt will be highly valuable.
I believe it is hard to pinpoint a definitive career choice at 20 however one thing is for sure is that I believe my future career lies within the financial services industry. Where exactly in the industry is yet unknown but one thing is for sure is that I will be certainly paying close attention to the ICAP graduate schemes in the future as to gain any opportunity to work for this company would be extremely rewarding.
