Graduates

My first few weeks at Alpha revolved around the Analyst Training programme, which introduced us to the Asset & Wealth Management industry. After this, I was lucky enough to be brought into the Bid Team. This is an internal team within Alpha, which focuses on creating high-quality proposals and sales materials which would be used by the senior Alpha team in the process of winning new projects and potentially new clients. The role was a great introduction to the company, as I was able to build my internal network rapidly. Working with a variety of people gave me the confidence to present my work to different levels of seniority, something that translates perfectly to working at client site. I was also given the responsibility of producing the sales materials, as well as managing my time effectively – all key skills for an Analyst.

After 5 months on the Bid Team, I joined a large project as a joint PMO (Project Management Officer) and BA (Business Analyst) role. Both roles are vital within Alpha projects – through my PMO role I was able to hone my skills around project governance and management to ensure that the team successfully delivered the work promised in the required timeframe. Through my BA role, I developed my content knowledge of the client reporting function at an Asset Manager and was able to contribute to the proposed redesign of the function.

In addition to project work and taking part in the many Alpha social events, I have also been a part of several Business Management areas – such as being a Wellbeing Champion, supporting the ESG, Operations, and Enterprise Transformation practices, and being part of the Gender Equality Committee. Alpha offers so many opportunities, your working life is never dull!

Alpha presents an amazing opportunity to work in a high-performance and meritocratic environment that values diversity, wellness and inclusion. As a graduate the company provided me with everything I needed and more to kickstart my career, and the opportunities to grow and challenge myself have continued since.
My first years were spent getting to grips with the fundamentals of project management, business analysis and strategic thinking, and at client site I frequently found myself in discussions with C-Suite stakeholders. This level of exposure has continued since, and I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a number of M&A deals and integrations, as well as industry-leading operational transformation programmes.

Everyone at Alpha gets involved with business management as a way of contributing to broader company life – this can involve anything from organising firm-wide events to developing Wellbeing or Diversity & Inclusion initiatives to roll out to the company. For me, working as part of a team to help create a strategy and develop a new Practice has been a real highlight of my time at Alpha, and is demonstrative of the sheer amount of opportunity available to make a real impact on the company, no matter what level you are.

Prior to joining Alpha’s graduate scheme, my only experience of the world of work was gained through internships I had completed at multi-national organisations. Therefore, with Alpha’s team at the time still in the double digits it was with a degree of trepidation that I first applied, with a host of questions as to what building a career at this small, unfamiliar firm would entail. 9 years later, I have a much clearer perspective on the answers.

Through the interview process, I was told consistently of the high level of responsibility I would get at an early stage. Upon joining, this became immediately apparent as I found myself participating in a workshop with the COO of a leading wealth manager on my first day. This level of exposure has continued in a similar vein over the last 9 years, during which time I’ve had the opportunity to participate in, and lead, some of the most interesting and transformational programmes in the industry. Working for a specialist boutique consultancy has allowed me to enjoy a wide variety of different engagements, ranging from regulatory & compliance, through to digital, sales & marketing, safe in the knowledge that all of them were contributing to my knowledge of the industry in which I have chosen to specialise.

Whilst Alpha provides great professional opportunities and experience, it is in the culture that that really the firm apart. In combining the stewardship of a listed company, the entrepreneurship of a start-up, the support of a family business, Alpha offers an unrivalled foundation upon which exciting, accelerated, and most importantly, sustainable, careers in management consulting can be built.