Anthony signed up to take part in The Brokerage in 2019, hoping to learn more about careers, especially in insurance. He successfully applied for an internship at an insurance company and spent 12 weeks there over the summer after A levels.
The internship was really interesting, and very useful. Anthony met a mentor there who he is still in contact with, and during the internship learned lots of important skills, including presentation and other ‘soft’ skills.
‘The internship really built my confidence for when I was at uni. A lot of the people I met had networks already, they had lots of contacts and experiences. But now I had the internship, I had something I could talk about too’.
Anthony studied economics at the LSE, while also attending skills events with The Brokerage to help with things like how to write a CV. He was able to land two more internships while at uni, which helped him start a career in private equity.
‘Internships at university meant that playing field felt more level, although when you’re from a non-traditional background for the sector, you can feel like you’re slightly behind in terms of how ‘polished’ you are. That’s something I’ve had to contend with.’
We asked Anthony what advice he would give to a young person just starting out with The Brokerage:
“Advice for my younger self – take it easy! I probably put too much pressure on myself back then. The fact that you’re engaging in programmes like The Brokerage already means you’re already doing the right thing. Yes you need to work hard, but be kind to yourself on the journey!
Also, be ready for rejection. I was fortunate to secure competitive internships, but each internship one came after several rejections from other companies.
“The Brokerage Internship was my first internship – it was an opportunity I wouldn’t have had otherwise. That extended period internship gave me a genuine insight into the industry. It showed me little things like how people dress and interact, as well as the day to day expectations of the role. Even going into Lloyds of London to see the place. All of that was really helpful. The Brokerage really set me up.”
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