Graduate interview
Brewin Dolphin’s graduate programme – the inside story
Henry Reade has worked at Brewin Dolphin since 2007 and is an investment manager looking after private client portfolios. He joined as a graduate trainee in the first intake of our graduate programme. We spoke to Henry about his experiences on the programme and how it has prepared him for a career at Brewin Dolphin.
How did you find out about the programme?
I knew someone who was already working at Brewin Dolphin who mentioned that the company was looking for graduates. I and two colleagues were the first three to join the graduate scheme in January 2007.
How useful did you find the programme?
The structure of the graduate programme was fantastic. We spent time in several offices around the UK, and when we went to work on our respective investment desks we were really clear about who we needed to contact when we needed assistance.
What ground did you cover?
The graduate programme was a year long and during the first three weeks we had several sessions that taught us about subjects including the stockmarket, bonds and derivatives.
We spent a month at Brewin Dolphin’s Newcastle office where we learnt about the operational side of the business and met the investment managers. We also spent time with the financial crime department in Newcastle. It was interesting to find out about how we aim to deal with fraud and the sophistication of those committing financial crimes.
We went up to our Edinburgh office for a month to learn about Stocktrade (our ‘execution-only’ stockbroking business). We spent time with our compliance department while training on presenting, personal skills and fast reading was also part of the programme.
At the end of the programme, we did a presentation to the board – that was pretty nerve-wracking. The board enjoyed the presentation though and said that we should do it again for our heads of office meeting in Cardiff. We were on stage with 80 of the top people at Brewin Dolphin sitting in the audience and waiting for something brilliant! It was nerve jangling but it went well.
How did you progress in your role after completing the graduate programme?
After our initial training was completed, we were assigned to an investment team and given a mentor on the desk. I spent nearly a year doing the administration for the team, which included dealing with forms for setting up accounts, transferring share certificates and paying out cheques. Many of the people that I met during the training were on the operations side – it was very useful doing admin for the first year because it kept me in contact with a lot of people I had met during that time. I now know who I need to speak to for assistance in a range of areas and have a rounded understanding of how the business operates. Meeting people face to face was worth its weight in gold.
After joining my investment desk it was then a process of taking several exams in order to progress. In the first two and a half years I did seven or eight exams. You have to be ready for this – it is an essential part of the role as you can’t deal or advise until you pass your exams.
What have been the most exciting things so far in your career at Brewin Dolphin?
The last year has been the most exciting because I have been given more responsibility. It’s great when the clients ring up and they are happy. I also enjoy meeting the management of companies. Our research department are fantastic at getting companies in – when you are face to face you can get more of an idea about what they do and how their business works.
One of the real benefits of working at Brewin Dolphin is having a lot more independence in terms of what you invest in. None of the portfolios across the company are exactly the same and we have the scope to build bespoke portfolios that precisely meet our clients’ needs.
Do you have any advice for people thinking about applying for the graduate programme at Brewin Dolphin?
Before joining Brewin Dolphin, I had already taken one of the exams I needed to pass. I would advise looking at some of the exams that you need to take before applying for the scheme – otherwise there is a risk of wasting two years doing exams for something that you are not enjoying. I would also advise keeping an eye on the stockmarket. When I joined the firm it was a very interesting time in the markets – something of a ‘baptism of fire’. The market began to crash in mid 2007- we were thrown in at the deep end as graduate trainees in terms of the market and economic conditions.
One of the real benefits of working at Brewin Dolphin is having a lot more independence in terms of what you invest in. 