Placement Year – a Jumping-off Point for a Career in a new Hybrid Working World

Placement Year – a Jumping-off Point for a Career
in a new Hybrid Working World

FinTrU Junior Analyst Alex Danailov shares his insight
on his placement year in a hybrid working environment

The Future of work

With restrictions easing and a return to the office becoming more feasible, working from home seems like a thing of the past. Employers, however, are preparing for its continued relevance, be that full time, WFH or a blend of both (1).

“People want the future of work to be hybrid” (2).

Employee demand for hybrid working models, that being part office, part remote, is strong. Starting a placement at a hybrid workplace is a great way for a student to jump-start their professional career and develop their personal character, while reaping the benefits of flexible working arrangements soon to be the norm.

Placement Benefits – Skills and Experience

A student can attain valuable skills through work experience while putting into practice what they’ve gained from their studies. During my placement I’ve examined official legal texts, drafted documents, worked on client systems performing KYC due diligence, and gained exposure to professional third parties – honing my attention to detail, research, communication, and Excel technical skills throughout. Your mileage may vary, but no one leaves a placement without developing some skill or other, as doing meaningful work in a professional environment demands it - at FinTrU, this means making a difference in the ever-changing world of financial regulation.

Placement Benefits – Learning and Development (L&D)

Sharpening skills allows one to take on more tasks and responsibilities; learning lets them grow professionally and personally. A placement student would do well to take advantage of the various L&D resources the industry has to offer. One can attest that they’ve gained role-related knowledge through company-funded certification, which makes them better at their jobs and more employable. Training opportunities, like FinTrU’s own Lunch & Learns, bespoke courses, and sponsored external workshops, contribute to developing subject matter competency – subject matter experts, or SMEs, are valued throughout the industry for their ability to optimise workflows (3). Placements at learning-focused organisations facilitate personal development.

Hybrid Working Model – Flexibility and Productivity

Good support structures allow students to gain the most out of their placement. The Net Better Off model devised by Accenture shows the main dimensions of work potential (4) - a roadmap for successful employee support.

Hybrid working fits neatly into this, as it gives people the flexibility to work whichever way their needs are best met. The resultant improvements in work-life balance, staff motivation, and focus lead to more healthy and productive employees (1, 2).

FinTrU’s hybrid policies build upon employee preferences, with workers encouraged to choose the environment they will thrive in at a given time, regulations-dependent (5). Personally, I was given the opportunity to work remotely from my home abroad for some time – getting the chance to see family and close friends I hadn’t seen in months and years, while enjoying a painless transition to doing my job even thousands of miles away. Notwithstanding, I avail myself of working from the office as often as I can, as would most Gen-Z workers it seems (6), I suspect to make up for lost face-to-face in the early years of their careers on account of the pandemic. That is to say, many young people yearn for camaraderie. It stands to reason then that companies are embracing flexible working - with potential for both improved productivity and staff well-being, the hybrid model is good for business and workers alike.

conclusion

Companies like FinTrU that adopt flexible working policies demonstrate an awareness of the business benefits of attentiveness towards the needs of employees. Undertaking a placement in a hybrid workplace can allow students to start building professional connections whilst staying more connected with friends and family, to say nothing of the knowledge and competencies gained that will stand them in good stead in today’s increasingly competitive industries.