I’m the Talent Attraction Specialist. This means I’m responsible for managing the Early Careers marketing campaign. My role involves designing and delivering on the attraction strategy, planning our approach to the campaign and working with the team to ensure we attract the right candidates.

There have been lots of highlights; however, one stands out. I was responsible for launching our Modern Apprenticeship programme, which provides young people with an alternative route into the firm. This has been really rewarding, as we are shaping the future talent pipeline of the firm. I like being part of a team that’s giving young people opportunities. I’ve also really enjoyed meeting lots of different people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.

Genuine curiosity. We want people who will challenge the status quo, who think about things and question everything. Resilience is also a key skill. We don’t expect you to know everything at the start, and you’ll get things wrong – but it’s how you deal with it that’s important. Collaboration and working together to share ideas are also vital, regardless of your role within the firm.

Be yourself! You’re treated as an individual throughout the whole process because we want to get to know you as a person. Ask lots of questions because finding out if we’re the right fit for you is just as important as us assessing your suitability for Baillie Gifford.

I applied to multiple firms because I wanted to find the right fit, but Baillie Gifford really stood out. The whole interview process is very personal and, since I’ve joined, it’s felt like being a part of a family. My colleagues have made themselves available to answer questions I might have about certain tasks or projects I’ve been working on.

One of the most challenging aspects of the programme was getting to know all the internal processes at the firm. It takes time to learn how everything fits together, but there are always people on hand to help. My mentor is always keen to make time if I need to talk, either on a personal or professional level. There was also ongoing support from my programme manager, who I met regularly on each specific rotation. You’ll most likely get what you need if you ask the right questions of the right people.

Moving to Scotland was a concern, taking into consideration the weather, leaving family behind, and other factors. The support I received with the move made such a difference. I got some great pointers about finding a place to live and have made friends around the business which made settling in easier. Having lunch together was a great way to get to know people before I officially started at the firm, and catching up further and being involved in various social and charity events has only strengthened relationships with colleagues and given me the opportunity to meet and build further relationships with people outside BG. With Edinburgh, you get the best of both worlds – peaceful green spaces, as well as the buzz of a capital city.

Having completed the graduate programme and spent time on rotation with different teams in the Information Systems department, I’m now a member of the Infrastructure and Service Delivery team. During the programme, I had exposure to a wide variety of technologies and projects, which equipped me for the tasks within my current team. I’m still experiencing new challenges and training opportunities, as a result, I see myself developing over the long term here, and I look forward to being a part of the firm's long-term success.

I’m from a working-class family and wasn’t sure what I could do with my degree. During my studies, I did some public service internships, but struggled with the culture. For me, everything moved so slowly in government where you could get lost in the machine. So when some of my friends recommended looking into investment research, I discovered Baillie Gifford, a bit of an outlier in the financial services industry. They have a long-term approach and are concerned about making a positive impact on society. The interview process was different too. Other firms expect you to have quite a lot of macro and market knowledge, but Baillie Gifford asked me what I’d read recently and why I chose the qualifications I did.

I work on the High Yield Credit team in the Multi-Asset & Income stream (MA&I), looking for companies that will provide a return on our investment. We analyse the competitive environment and whether a company has any unique strengths, innovation or durable edge that will allow it to succeed and grow over the period we lend to it. We’re also really interested in their sustainability, environmental, social and governance goals. The bonds we research can be new issues, whereby companies are looking to raise new finances, or refinance, where they want to extend the life of existing bonds. Alternatively, other opportunities can come from individual analysts prospecting in industries they’re responsible for or have a personal interest in.

As someone new to the team, fund managers will often suggest new issues or past bonds for me to look at, although we’re also encouraged to come up with our ideas ourselves. For the new issue bonds, the first part of the research process is to attend a company presentation,  and then arrange calls with the company’s management. Once a new bond is issued, the decision to buy can be relatively quick. Typically issued at the beginning of the week, we then discuss our initial reports as a team on Wednesdays. Then, if the fund managers want to buy, they’ll take a small position by the end of the week. After new issues, we usually do further write up, building up a more detailed profile for the bonds.

There is a real collegiate feel at Baillie Gifford. Even though we’re all working remotely, it’s easy to message someone on Teams and go for a walk or meet online for a chat. My mentor has been great and I’ve met with him every week. All graduate trainees get allocated a mentor. They could be someone who completed the graduate programme, an experienced investor hired directly to the team or even a partner in the firm. They teach you how to do the technical aspects of the job and take you through all the basics of the firm.