Career Heroes - Anna Pollock

Tell us more about you

I’m originally from London and I’m currently an Economics student at Queen’s University. I’m in the final year of my degree after completing my placement with FinTrU.

What kind of work do you do?

During my placement year, I worked on a high-risk KYC (Know Your Customer) project. This involved me checking that all of the information the client had on its customers was correct and up to date. I also carried out additional background checks to ensure there was no risk of any fraud or other financial crime. I worked in a team of around 20 people, and communicated directly with employees of the client.

How did you become a Junior Analyst?

I did my A Levels and then went straight from school to Queen’s University to study Economics.

To become a Junior Analyst at FinTrU, I applied for their placement programme as part of my Economics degree. The placement year takes place between the second and third year of a degree.

If you could do-over, What would you do differently?

As I applied for a placement year at FinTrU, this was a very direct way of joining the company and beginning a career in Financial Services. I would recommend students look into doing a placement year and start to prepare for it early so they have sufficient time to find a placement they’ll enjoy. Completing a placement year also provides the possibility of being offered a graduate job once you’ve finished university.