At Abacus, we have always believed that the best way to learn about an industry is to be in it, which is why, every summer, we open our doors to students to work across our departments, and we take real pride in giving young people the opportunity to work alongside our experienced professionals.
Jeremy is one of this year’s students, and he has shared his experience of working within our compliance team. We’ll let him tell you the rest.
About Me
Hi! I’m Jeremy and I am a 21-year-old student currently working for Abacus in the compliance sector. I’m going into my third year at university in Buckinghamshire for an undergraduate degree in Criminology, so my degree goes hand in hand with my role in Abacus.
My experience at Abacus
Luck was most definitely by my side when it came to the role I was placed in, as the Compliance department and the day to day as a compliance worker has been an absolutely fantastic experience. Not only that, but the compliance team, as well as the teams in other departments have been absolutely amazing.
I truly believe that the Abacus community is one of the most positive and friendly environments I’ve worked in, and it really brings me joy to be a part of such a special community. They really made me feel welcomed and part of the team. You can really see the effort put into finding people that truly care about the work they do and who they work with. This positive atmosphere heavily impacts the work Abacus does, focusing on quality and consistency, as well as maintaining that same positive and friendly outlook to all of their clients.
What I’ve learned
I worked at Abacus last year, where I was mainly tasked to organise the company’s filing room. That experience taught me a tremendous amount, but wow, I don’t think it even comes close to how much I learned this summer working in compliance.
I haven’t had much experience working in an office, as all my previous jobs have been in hospitality, so I knew going into this summer work I wanted to learn as much as possible, and that goal was most definitely realised.
Within the compliance department I was taught so much, primarily understanding compliance work itself, which mainly consisted of making sure all documents and information we had was correct, valid and aligned with the client’s company behaviour. That meant I needed to have a decent understanding of how companies function behind the scenes. I knew next to nothing about companies and documents at the start, but as I continued and learned more, I understood a tremendous amount of what documents companies need, why people open certain companies and how they function.
On top of this, Abacus also provided little taster sessions for the students to get a rundown of how each department works. These included Funds, Accounting, Business Development, Fiduciary and Compliance, giving all the students an insight, not only into seeing if the department is a good fit for their future career paths, but also to give us an understanding as to how Abacus works. We also had the chance to ask any questions to learn more about the departments in more detail.
These sessions were also a fantastic way of getting to know the other students working at Abacus over summer, as well as building a more personal connection with people across the business. This stems again from my view of Abacus having a fantastic community and an exceptional work environment.
My Future Career
When it comes to my future career, I plan to move on to air traffic control and hopefully develop a career path within that field once I finish university. But the knowledge, understanding and perspective working for Abacus has given me will be unforgettable. I have no doubt in my mind that this experience has opened my eyes to office work and understanding the benefits Abacus provides from a client’s perspective, and more importantly, why that’s valued.
I really appreciate the opportunity I was given to work at Abacus, and I will be forever thankful for the knowledge I gained and the people I’ve met. I’m sure that compliance work will always stay as an option for my future.
Internships and Summer Work Experience with Abacus
We offer internship opportunities each year for students and graduates looking to gain real world experience in our industry. Interns work directly alongside our teams across departments, including compliance, accounting, funds, fiduciary and business development.
If you’re a student or recent graduate who’s motivated and keen to learn, we’d love to hear from you.