Reframing the finance industry from ‘stuffy and boring’ to ‘modern and progressive’ underpins much of what we do, and we lead the charge by creating space in our team to welcome people who’ve never considered a career in finance before.

But it’s not just our financial services department getting all the love; we’re hiring new talent into the grad scheme, events and client experience teams.

Meet 4 of our newest recruits.

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Meet the newbies:

Age: 24

Role: Client Support

Life before Verve:

I was a manager at McDonalds. I found the job advertised online and applied because the company culture was described as “work hard, play hard” and that seemed like the right company for me!

Favourite thing so far:

The office environment is relaxed and collaborative, which makes me feel supported as I learn what I need to know.

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Age: 30

Role: Financial Services Trainee

Life before Verve:

I worked in hospitality for 12 years, and 8 of those as a manager. I was referred to Verve by another grad and applied because they really enjoyed their job and I wanted that feeling too. I really liked the idea of being a new face in finance because even in my old job, doing the figures was always my favourite part.

Favourite thing so far:

I thought finance would be suited and booted, but it’s the complete opposite here and if more places were this relaxed I think everyone would love a career in finance. The best surprise so far has been visits from the office dogs.  

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Age: 22

Role: Financial Services Trainee

Life before Verve:

I was at Durham Uni getting my masters in Maths. I was dreading looking for a job after uni and was really picky about where I was going to apply. I found Verve through The Grad Scheme and it was the fun nature of the questions, including “What would your superhero name be?” that swung it for me.

Favourite thing so far:

I’m looking forward to working in every department as part of my training to find out what kind of ‘finance person’ I am. What I like best right now is the autonomy to learn as I work, while still having an entire team around who are ready to answer all my questions.  

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Age: 25 

Role: Event Coordinator

Life before Verve:

I was a promotions and revenue coordinator in drinks wholesale, so this is different for me but I knew when I found the ad that I’d be able to develop my ideal skill set in this role. The application process was actually fun and that spoke volumes about the kind of company it is.  

Favourite thing so far:

Everyone is open and positive, and even though we’re ‘in finance’ it’s not stuffy or corporate.  

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Building the next generation of finance heroes

We’re building the next generation of finance heroes in our team with a four-pronged approach. Our new recruits have outlined most of this above, but here’s what we know works:

• Running our own training programme

• Taking a mentorship approach

• Embedding a learning culture

• Building an employer brand that grabs people right in the feels

Our thriving trainee programme, The Grad Scheme, attracts talented graduates all year round and helps people into finance with a structured two-year traineeship. Graduates are supported with all aspects of their training by the whole Verve team including our technical specialist Grant, our investment specialist Ali, and our compliance consultant Alanis, who all began their careers here as grads (albeit, a long, long time ago now).

That mentorship approach hugs the whole business: every day is a school day, and everyone is a mentor. Our team is proud to share their expertise wherever it’s needed. There’s no gatekeeping here!

Plus, we’re always learning. The whole team logs annual CPD, from compliance to marketing to business operations. Plus, there’s a learning budget for every single person, with time carved out to work on qualifications, complete additional training and learn something new.  

Finally, we’re building an employer brand that really speaks to people. Our strategy is to attract prospective newbies to Verve as a company first, and the finance industry second. People mostly don’t know what industry they want to work in, but they do know the type of company they want to be part of, so we make it very clear what we’re all about.

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Championing new voices together

We’re all about progress: we pride ourselves on being a progressive business that values innovation, and champions a finance industry that’s diverse, inclusive, accessible and welcoming.  

So, we’re building a team that reflects that and encouraging others to do the same.  

We’ve been working on this for a while! Whether you’re just starting out or helping others take the first step, there are a few ways to change the face of finance with us:

• If you want to be part of the movement by joining the Verve team, check out our Verve vacancies now or take a look at The Grad Scheme if that’s right for you.  
  

• Elsewhere, the Verve Foundation is our not-for-profit sister company. Its focus is fully-funded training that helps people start or grow their career in finance. The Foundation is the ideal partnership opportunity for businesses looking to do good, and a foot in the door for people at the start of their finance journey.

• Let’s not forget about the Art of Finance, a mine of training resources for people who want to upskill at their own pace for a career in finance.  

Want to find out more? We love to chat! Get in touch any time right here.