Many young people who are either graduating or leaving school this summer will be turning their thoughts to securing their first full-time job. Guernsey offers some fantastic career opportunities, with comprehensive training packages and a work-life balance that is hard to beat.
Inevitably many (but not all) career paths are within financial services. However, the different sectors of the finance industry offer a wide and diverse range of entry-level positions, and the team at OSA has many years of experience helping candidates identify which area might appeal to them the most.
The job application process can feel like an overwhelming task to take on by yourself. That’s where OSA comes in. We build long-term relationships with our candidates, helping them navigate the many permanent and temporary job opportunities available in Guernsey and guiding them as they take that important first step on their career journey.
TYPICAL ROLES
Graduate or school/college leavers’ positions that we currently have registered include:
Fund trainee schemes
Generally, trainees will learn the administration of a portfolio of clients whilst some companies offer the chance to rotate between fund administration and fund accounting roles over a period of around six months. All companies will offer trainees the chance to begin studies towards a formal qualification in their preferred area of choice.
Accountancy trainee programmes
The larger accountancy firms, as well as some of the smaller practices, offer three-year training programmes towards either an ACA (Associate Chartered Accountant) or an ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) qualification. During the three years, trainees will work in a variety of accountancy areas including tax, audit, management etc. with a view to specialising on one of these at a later stage.
Apprenticeship
We have seen one company offering an apprentice program over three years where the trainee will develop new skills whilst studying towards a professional qualification. These include project management (eg Prince2), and insurance (eg ACII Chartered Insurer).
Trust trainees
Many local trust companies offer entry level trainee roles in the trust field where candidates carry out a variety of duties such as bookkeeping, transactions, payments and general administration. Professional studies are always supported such as STEP, ACCA, or ICSA.
OUR TOP TIPS FOR POTENTIAL FIRST-TIME CANDIDATES
CV
Create or polish up your CV – there are plenty of free templates available online. At this stage you will probably have very little employment experience other than holiday or weekend work, so focus on other attributes that will give a potential employer insight into who you are and what you can bring to a role:
Personal statement – don’t forget to open with this and keep it short and sharp.
Qualities – are you an ace hockey player? Then that means you work well in a team.
Skills – do you write a regular blog that has your friends in stitches? Then it seems your communication skills are strong.
Extra-curricular activities – have you trained for a marathon? Then that shows tenacity and focus.
Studies – did you write a 10,000-word dissertation? Then you will have developed some impressive research skills.
Extras – do you have a driving licence, an ability in a second language, or prowess in certain pieces of software? These should also be included.
Make sure you ask someone with excellent English skills to proofread the CV to pick out any typos or misspelling. It happens to the most competent writer.
Social media
Employers will look at your social media profiles. Set your privacy levels accordingly on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, and create a professional LinkedIn profile to showcase your key achievements and skills.
Research
Visit the company’s website and social media channels to get a feel for the company culture, values, and vision. There may also be case studies from other former trainees who have followed the path you are now considering.
WHAT NEXT?
Coming soon – preparing for the interview.
