Persistence Pays Off for Graduate Trainee
Zoe Malpas joined Thorntons Investments at the end of 2012 to get some work experience whilst studying at university. She eventually joined us on a full-time basis as a graduate trainee in 2014. There’s no doubt she had an immediate impact on the team – with her infectious personality and enthusiasm for life in general. It was always clear that Zoe had ambition, but she would be the first to admit that it’s not always been easy trying to achieve her goals. Sometimes the goalposts move along the way, but her persistence has finally paid off!
Zoe has spent the last four years learning about financial planning, starting in the Admin function and learning about our complex systems and processes, all heavily regulated by the FCA. Then she trained as a Paraplanner supporting the Financial Planning team in all aspects of our client service.
During this time, Zoe diligently undertook her professional exams one by one in her spare time, supported by her colleagues. It’s fair to say there were some disappointments along the way, but her hard work and dedication came to fruition in November 2018 when she completed her Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning.
So what, you might say? We could have just given her a pat on the back and gone back to business as usual. However, we believe that personal development for every member of our team is extremely important. We invest heavily in professional development across all areas of our business, but what happens next is the crucial step often missed by businesses – the so what – which is how we help our colleagues fulfil their aspirations. What we do know is that, if we don’t help them, they will go elsewhere and that would be a shame. For some it’s not always clear what their career path looks like so we believe it is our role to help them discover what it could be.
So we’re delighted that we feature in Zoe’s career ambitions and, from early 2019, she will move into a new role as Trainee Financial Planner, continuing her journey to becoming a client facing professional adviser within the next two years.
“Thorntons Investments have consistently supported and encouraged me throughout my studies and progression within the business and I am lucky enough to be part of the ‘family’. I couldn’t be luckier to work with and benefit from the knowledge and work ethic of the amazing Financial Planners and Investment Managers here. The thought of the next two years is so exciting and I can’t wait to get started, there is nowhere I would rather be doing it!”
Zoe Malpas, Trainee Financial Planner
We already know that our clients love her – she genuinely cares about the service we provide and will always go the extra mile to help them. Over the next two years, Zoe will gain valuable client facing experience whilst she continues to grow her technical knowledge and experience …. and hopefully a few more exams along the way! Well done Zoe, we’re very proud to have you on the team!