It's never too late - how Nyasha secured her role in Private Equity

Hello, welcome.

Hello, thank you.

Thank you for joining the call. It's brilliant to have you here and connect with you, and I just wanted to talk to you briefly a little bit about your experience with us over the summer on the training program and where you are now and the result of that training. So Actually, I'm genuinely interested. I don't know the answer to this question. Why did you decide to join us over the summer? What were you hoping to get out of the experience and how did you find out about it?

Yeah, sure. So I first found out about it because one of the representatives from Amplify came to my university. They were invited by the Brunel Economics and Finance Society to run their sales trader simulation. So obviously I went there, I thought, okay, this is something that I want to get into in the future, let me see what it's about. And it was intense. I didn't quite know what I was doing because it's the first time I'd ever been in that kind of simulation. But then I found that you had an internship program, so I just thought, okay, well, I'm struggling to get internships at the moment. I'm in second year, I just got rejections upon rejections upon rejections. So I just thought, okay, fine, let me try and figure something out. Then I saw you had to pay for it. I don't know if you're going to involve this in there.

I know, no, honesty all the way through. So go on.

Yeah, then I saw you had to pay for it and I thought, okay, well, I can't afford that. I'm still a university student, but you know, never say never in the future. Then lockdown happened. I got a job, luckily, as a living support worker, which paid surprisingly well. And then the first thing that was on my mind was that, okay, around April, May, April time, I've just finished my exams. I thought, oh, hold on, there was that internship. I can afford it now. And since I'm not going to be doing much else this summer apart from working, I might as well, you know, put that money back and invest it into myself and try to see if I can like broaden my horizons a little bit. Since I'm not doing anything, I may as well. So yeah, that's really how it happened from start to finish.

That is what a great story though, as well. That's super impressive.

It's a happy coincidence, honestly. A happy coincidence.

At least something good has come out of 2020. That's a good start. Okay, so that's good about a background. Thank you for that. And then you joined the program. I'll never forget it actually on that first day, you know, everyone's a bit nervous and they don't know each other. And within the first minute, you're there chatting away to everybody, everyone that's got their camera on. So tell me about you, where are you at? And I actually think, well, so from my point of view, thank you for that because it really created a great atmosphere and you made a mark immediately actually on that first day. So you then started the program with us and talk to me about your experience there. Again, honest as possible, good and bad, and how you obviously were with us for 3 weeks. How did you find it and what did you take out of it?

Sure, I think if I were to start off with just one word, it's intense. Like, it was the amount of information that we were getting given and the obviously sitting down and getting the lectures from Eddie and the guys and everyone. It was a lot to take in, and then on top of that, the simulations as well. It was quite rigorous. It took a— it definitely took some getting used to, but if anything, it kind of prepared you because then you were seeing exactly what was expected from the industry that you wanted to get into. And it was quite invaluable because that's exactly what you needed. You needed to— if you were just eased into it, we only had 3 weeks. We didn't have like 10 weeks like some of the internships. So everything did have to be cramped in. So that was understandable. Keeping up with it though, that was a bit of a struggle. I can't lie. Sometimes, you know, after the session had ended for the day, I'd still be there trying to understand what's EBITDA? I don't understand what this means. Okay, what's EBIT? What's the difference between EBIT and EBITDA? Because you want to understand it. And that's one thing that I did before the internship. I went into the internship knowing what I wanted to get out of it, which was future prospects, an internship, and a grad role. Not necessarily where I wanted it to be, but I knew that I wanted to be in that area. So I went in there basically, you know, taking the bull by the horns, just making sure that if I go in there, I'm going to give it everything. I want to understand everything that I'm doing, so I need to put in the work. So yeah, it was intense. But what I found really helpful was that every single person who was giving a session or a TA or simulation, they were so patient in answering the questions, even if they seemed like they were so stupid. I remember I asked a few answers there thinking they must be thinking I'm an idiot for this, for asking this. But they were so— everyone was so patient. Anthony Cheung was so patient explaining, you know, the US elections and US farm payrolls, things that I, even I'm an economics student, I didn't know what that was at that time, because obviously I'm based on a lot of theory. So real life practice was a little bit out of my reach at that point, but the overall, the experience was completely positive.

I really liked your focus there. Sorry, Nash. I really liked your focus there, how you were saying you went into the internship saying, right, out of this training with Amplify, I know what I want. As soon as I finish this, I'm getting the internship, I'm getting the grad role, I'm starting my career.

Definitely, it was the only way to approach it, it was the only way to approach it for me.

And so after the summer program then, so you're saying before the summer program, obviously second year student, you hadn't had much success, you've been receiving rejections. So talk to me about what happened and what has happened to you just in the few months since we've finished working together.

Yeah, so I think it was in last week you took a look at my CV. I sent it through TM, we were in our little mentorship group and you took one look at it and you just said 'Absolutely not. This is not going to work.' And you just, you completely overhauled it. And then the bits that I'd added in about Amplify, you completely, you showed me how to make sure that I projected myself in a way that was actually appealing and showed what was actually interesting about my experience. So after that, I looked at a few internships, and what I found so amazing was that beforehand I was just applying to internships quite randomly. I'd see investment banking and think, 'Oh, that's what I want to get into.' I'd see asset management management and think, oh yeah, I want to get into that as well. But when I actually asked myself, do I know what it is that I'll actually be doing? I didn't. But now I was looking at these job descriptions and I could understand exactly what they were talking about. I could understand they're talking about trading comparables, they're talking about valuations, they're talking about this, this, this and that policy, compliance, regulation. I could understand what they wanted me to do. So that also helped me my application because I could then say I could tailor my CV, tweak it a little bit, tweak my application to show that I do understand what you want me to do. So this is why I'm an ideal candidate for the role. It just gave me a huge massive boost of confidence. And obviously right now I have— I'm currently in the final stages of an interview with MUFG in their global corporate and investment banking division, specifically structured finance. I took the interview on Tuesday, just waiting for that to come through. Hopefully that's positive, fingers crossed. And I have an offer from Living Bridge in private equity, so I'm just in the final stages trying to sign that contract and understand what they—

Great, so you know you've got Living Bridge sorted already for next summer, that's done, private equity. Well, Eddie will be over the moon with that, by the way, in private equity. Fantastic. So, and that will then start in the summer, but you've also— so MUFG, That interview you took, I mean, that was already the third, was it the third round?

It was the third round. The final third round. Yeah.

And you, you find out when?

They haven't said.

Okay.

I'm hoping by the end of this week, because I'm not sure I can take the stress of thinking.

Well, at least look, I mean, I, I, I think you're an incredibly impressive candidate and just the way that you approach things is, is fantastic. And that shines through ultimately. Most of this can be learnt, you know, a lot of things can be learnt when it comes to theory. Hopefully where we fill the gap is by providing practical training and application, but what can't be changed is, is someone's approach and attitude, and I think that, that will shine through. So MUFG, they'll be very lucky to have you, and you know you've already got one in the bag anyway.

Yeah, it's a huge stress reliever, so it's like, and you're kind of hoping that when you go in there you also if you have the right mindset, maybe towards the end of it they might say, oh, we can extend your contract since you're not going back to university next year. Yeah, you know, you're done with uni, you've graduated, why don't you just extend it on? So that's, that's the hope. If I don't get a grad role, then that's the hope with, um, with the Living Bridge internship as well.

Absolutely. And that's interesting with it. So with the MUFG, is that an internship or a grad role?

That's a grad role.

That's a grad role straight in. So that would be— well, by the way, that'd be super impressive to, to get through that. As you know, obviously, you know, normally it's going through the process of spring week internship to grad roles. So with them going in at a grad role, that would be, that would be a really big win, by the way, because I think so many students out there feel like they've missed that small window that they needed to start the process, and they're already now in their second year without any plans for this, that coming summer. So yeah, absolutely, that, that's really good. And also, I mean, with Living Bridge, they can either extend it or they might say, well, listen, if you're 'You don't have to be in your final year, maybe we can sponsor you to do a master's in this area where we think you're going to get further development and then come back for a grad role.' Exactly, it's just being open to the whole prospects of whatever prospect that may come in the future that kind of drives you a little bit.

Because obviously I was a little bit intimidated when I started the internship, I can't lie, because there are a few people who they were in their first year and they were doing this internship. I was now entering into my third year, so I was thinking 'Oh my goodness, have I missed the boat? Should I have done this much, much earlier?' But you know, you don't know what's going to come along, and that's proven by what's happened over the past few months. Like, I've been baffled by what's been going on. So, but honestly, I can just put it down to the whole experience and just say, 'You know what, it happened. I'm not going to question it. I'm just going to go with it and just hope for the best.' Fantastic.

Well, I am over the moon, and as I say, you know, I'm very public about it really. This is the most rewarding thing that happens in my career is working with people who are talented and driven and making sure that they're able to capitalise on their potential. Hearing stories like this already, Living Bridge for next year and then hopefully MUFG as well, is a great success story.

Hopefully.

Well done. Let us know, let me know immediately with MUFG. Definitely. And good luck and stay in touch, you know, and stay in touch with the Amplify community. I think someone like you is such a great inspiration to so many students. Definitely next year I'll be bringing you in. I'll be twisting your arm to come and speak to some of our new trainees and, you know, help them through their process as well. And I know the sort of person you are and I'm sure—

Well, you can see that I love to chat, so I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem at all. I'll probably go over the time that you allot me if you do do that, so Brilliant.

Yeah, no, no problem from my side. Less teaching time from me. Good luck from all of us, Nayasha. Thank you, thank you for joining us.

Thank you.