Kate T.
About me
| Kate T. | |
| Psychology | |
| Psychology | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Vanbrugh | |
| 2010 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Financial Crime Subject Matter Expert | |
| Eukleia Training Ltd | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Finance and consultancy | |
| Medium-size business (50-249 employees) | |
| 2014 |
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A day in the life of a Financial Crime Subject Matter Expert in the United Kingdom
From Psychology to a Big 4 firm, and now trying to teach bankers how to be compliant (argh!)
My career goals when I graduated
Get a job... any job!
My career history
I left York and started on the EY Risk graduate programme.
After two years, and securing my accountancy qualification I moved into the Financial Crime Advisory team, as I found the subject very interesting. Another two years on and I decided to move into the banking world.
Worst. Decision. Ever.
It was so dull...so I got on with it and in my spare time looked for something else and found my ideal role as a Financial Crime Subject Matter Expert and Trainer at Eukleia.
What has helped my career to progress
Don't be shy and retiring. Take all opportunities and find the benefit in them. I had to work in the arse-end of nowhere in Delaware State for 6 months on a nightmare project. I made friends in New York and key contacts there so if I ever want to move there I can :-)
Also, do every qualification a company offers - if it's free (i.e they're paying) then all it takes is your time and it could be invaluable later on on your CV.
Courses taken since graduation
ACCA (chartered certified accountant)
CISI Diploma in Investment Compliance
ICA Certificate in Trade Based Money Laundering
My advice to students considering work
Work hard and take a job even if it doesn't sound like your "dream job"... I don't know many new grads who walk into their dream career straight away. It's about starting somewhere and then moving into the areas that interest you more and more.
My advice about working in my industry
Be confident, speak up or you won't be heard, but also be grateful. If you get a job at a big four firm it doesn't mean you're invincible, there are 100,0000 other grads who would happily take your place so don't get too big for your boots too early
What I do
I work as a subject matter expert at a Risk, Governance and Compliance training firm.
What??
Ok, so in the financial world there are hundreds of laws and regulations that financial institutions (banks, hedge funds, insurance companies, etc) have to comply with. They don't just have to make sure they abide by the rules, they also have to make sure all of their staff are knowledgable about those rules and know how they can personally help the firm to comply and "do the right thing" both for the customer and for the integrity of financial markets.
I specialise in the law and regulation surrounding financial crime - that's money laundering, sanctions compliance, fraud and bribery to name but a few.
I spend half of my time out at different banks running classroom sessions about these responsibilities and laws, and I spend my other half of the day in the office. Keeping up to speed with the changes in laws and enforcement cases, and writing content for online courses that banks roll out annually to all of their staff
Skills I use and how I developed them
Presentation skills are key - you have 30 disengaged traders in a room who don't care less about Anti-money laundering law... So keeping them focuses and engaged is key. The ONLY way to get better at presenting is to do it more - even if you hate it!
What I like most
The work is varied - I meet different clients all the time who have different needs. I worked in a bank for a short time and I couldn't bear sitting at the same desk doing the same task all day and not meeting anyone new
What I like least
The customer is always right... You can spend weeks on a project and the client change their mind about what they want at the last minute. You have to be tolerant and flexible, even when that's not easy
What surprised me most
I had no idea this is where I'd end up. I never thought I'd work in the city or in the financial world... It was just a path of a number of decisions.
Next steps...
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