Bruin is proud to have collaborated with 10,000 Black Interns programme since 2021 and continue to value our partnership with this outstanding initiative. This initiative aims to transform the horizons and prospects of young Black people in the United Kingdom by offering paid work experience across a wide range of industries. The aim is to provide training and development opportunities and to create a sustainable cycle of mentorship and sponsorship for the Black community.
We sat down with Isabel Nze, our latest Intern here at Bruin to hear more about her 6 week internship.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the internship scheme that you applied through?
A: I have had the pleasure of interning at Bruin for six weeks. I was introduced to the recruitment consultancy firm by the 10,000 Interns Foundation which helps place students and recent graduates into internships schemes. The foundation prioritises placing students/graduates of marginalised groups (minority ethnicity and disability backgrounds) into internships with highly esteemed companies.
Q: What are 3 learnings you’ve taken away from the internship?
A: Being an individual with a disability and of black origin, I was fortunate to be granted an opportunity to work for a very supportive company like Bruin who are actively involved in promoting diversity and demonstrates a willingness to learn how to better support marginalised groups. I learnt about the various workshops which the company hosts covering topics such as Allyships, Mental Health Awareness. I found it interesting to be apart of discussions which sheds light on taboo subjects. The company has demonstrated an extreme interest in increasing awareness on such sensitive matters along with encouraging more open dialogue about these subjects in a workplace environment.
The placement has increased my knowledge of the financial services as over the course of the six weeks I have become more familiar with the clients that the company works within the financial sector: Investment Banking clients, Asset Management clients and Insurance clients. With my rotation across all departments (Sales & Marketing, Finance, Compliance, Legal, EU Markets, Broking Underwriting & Claims), I have had greater exposure to the candidates that each team looks for. For example, in the Marketing team their focus is sourcing candidates from a marketing educational/ work background to fill vacancy for roles such as Marketing Executive, Marketing Assistant. To conclude, I learnt that recruitment is a continuous process as a consultant is not only responsible for sourcing a candidate to the client but providing continual support along their journey. Candidates might require support with preparing for interviews, require support in seeing how they are.
Q: Would you recommend the scheme to others?
A: I would definitely recommend this scheme to others as this opportunity has fostered my learning of recruitment and financial services. The scheme has definitely provided me with the industry experience and insight into the financial services markets needed should I pursue a career in recruitment.
If you would like to learn more about our internship programme here at Bruin, or more information about 10,000 Black Interns, then please contact Emily Ayre at emily.ayre@bruinfinancial.com