Lack of ambition in young people - it isn't!

3 days ago
5 min read

From having no line of sight to a City career to shaping the future of insurance technology.

How The Brokerage opened the first door for Edison — and helped him build a career in financial services

Every young person starts somewhere.

For Edison, that starting point was a Year 11 careers talk at school. He had no family connections to the City, no one at home who could explain how corporate careers worked and no clear route into the professional world.

Then The Brokerage came to his school.

What followed was a journey from careers events and mock interviews to two internships, a career in insurance and financial services, and now a role managing outsourcing and third-party risk at Asta, the UK's largest Lloyd's managing agency.

As part of our 30 Years. 30 Stories. campaign, we're celebrating alumni whose journeys show what can happen when talented young people are given access to the networks, knowledge and opportunities that others may inherit through family and professional connections.

Read Edison's story - Early career starts by joining The Brokerage

Opening a door that wasn't visible

Edison first heard about The Brokerage in Year 11, when Susheel came to speak at his school.

He signed up that same day.

What caught his attention was that The Brokerage wasn't simply talking about ambition. It offered something practical: a route into industries he had no existing connection to.

"It wasn't a talk about vague ambition. It was a practical route into industries I had no line of sight to otherwise."

At the time, Edison didn't know anyone working in the City. The idea that an organisation could help open that door was an opportunity he didn't want to miss.

"I didn't know anyone working in the City, so the idea that an organisation would actually open that door felt too good to pass up."

The gap between potential and opportunity

For Edison, the challenge wasn't a lack of ambition.

It was a lack of access.

He was the first in his family to go to university and the first to work in a corporate role. There was no one at home who could explain the unwritten rules of entering professional careers what an internship was worth, how to approach a job specification or what employers expected in an interview.

"There was no one at home who could explain how a City career worked: what an internship was worth, how to read a job spec, what to say in an interview."

That knowledge can be easy to overlook when it is already part of your family or social network.

For Edison, The Brokerage helped close that gap.

"The Brokerage closed that gap for me. It gave me the network and the working knowledge that other candidates inherited by default."

That distinction between having talent and having access to opportunity has remained an important part of his understanding of professional careers.

Two internships. One important first step.

The Brokerage helped Edison secure two internships: one with a major UK insurer and another with one of the country's largest asset managers.

Those placements became much more than experiences to add to his CV.

They gave him a way into the industry and something tangible to draw on when applying for future roles.

"Those two placements are the reason I have a career in financial services at all."

The experience was complemented by CV and interview workshops, where Edison learned how to communicate his experience with confidence, structure his answers and hold conversations with senior professionals.

But, for him, the confidence-building was just as important as the practical preparation.

He learned that networking wasn't about trying to impress people. It was about being genuinely curious, having conversations and maintaining relationships.

"Networking isn't about performing. It's about being genuinely curious and staying in touch."

Those are lessons he continues to use today.

Learning to think on his feet

One experience that has stayed with Edison was a series of round table review sessions held at The Brokerage's former offices near Moorgate.

Participants were put in front of people they had never met and asked to think on their feet, explain their reasoning and defend their views.

At the time, it was daunting.

Looking back, Edison can see just how valuable the experience was.

"Looking back, that's precisely the skill I use in every board paper discussion and client conversation I have now."

The sessions helped him develop the confidence to contribute, challenge ideas and communicate clearly skills that have become central to his professional life.

"It built my confidence faster than anything else I did."

From first opportunity to financial services career

Edison's career has developed significantly since those early experiences with The Brokerage.

He studied for an LLB Law followed by a Master of Laws (LLM) and went on to build his career within financial services and insurance.

Today, he is an Outsourcing and Third Party Manager at Asta, the UK's largest Lloyd's managing agency, managing risk across an increasingly complex professional and regulatory environment.

But his ambitions don't stop there.

The experience he gained in the insurance market has also inspired him to build something of his own. Edison is preparing to launch an insurance technology startup, focused on solving a risk management problem he now sees through his professional experience.

"That same market knowledge is what led me to found my own technology startup, solving a risk management problem I now see up close every day."

For Edison, the connection between where he started and where he is heading is clear.

"None of that happens without the first door being opened in 2017."

The importance of staying connected

Edison has not forgotten the organisation that helped him take those first steps.

He now hopes to stay involved with The Brokerage as a mentor, recognising that the support he received can be passed on to another young person at the beginning of their journey.

"I know how much difference one conversation at the right moment makes."

It's a powerful reflection of what happens when an alumnus becomes part of the network that once supported them.

The opportunity moves forward.

His advice to the next generation

Edison's advice to young people considering joining The Brokerage is straightforward:

"Do it, and take every session seriously."

He has recommended The Brokerage to people he met at university and to young people looking to get their first professional opportunity.

For Edison, the value goes beyond preparing someone for their first corporate job.

"It gives you the access, the preparation and the network to go and win one yourself."

Where are they now?

Joined The Brokerage: 2017Education: LLB Law; Master of Laws (LLM)

Programme highlights: Careers events, CV workshops, mock interviews, round table sessions and two internships

Current role: Outsourcing and Third Party Manager, Asta

Next chapter: Preparing to launch an insurance technology startup and planning to support The Brokerage as a mentor

Edison's story in one quote

"The one place that genuinely wants to see you on a level playing field, and will stand side by side with you until you get there."

Opening doors for the next generation

Edison's story is exactly why access matters.

Talent and ambition exist everywhere. What isn't always equally available is the professional network, knowledge and opportunity needed to turn that potential into a career.

For 30 years, The Brokerage has helped bridge that gap — connecting young people with employers, professionals and experiences that can change what they believe is possible.

30 Years. 30 Stories. is a celebration of those journeys.

Edison's is one of them: a story that began with a careers talk in Year 11, developed through two internships and continued into a career in insurance and financial services — with another chapter now being written as he prepares to build his own technology business.

And perhaps most importantly, he now wants to help open that first door for someone else.