Business Operations.
Explore your potential.

I spent my placement with the HR Talent and Development team, which focuses on developing employees by identifying and upskilling talent. So, they work on performance management, learning and development, leadership and management development and succession planning – the perfect place to develop my own skills! During my time I shadowed and chaired meetings, aided on scheduling and performance management projects, attended lots of webinars and completed online training.

I was given my own project on improving the induction experience for new starts. This involved carrying out research on how external companies approach inductions, and on the firm’s existing processes and shared beliefs. I shared my ideas for improvements with stakeholders across the business, then drew up a proposal with my recommendations, which was presented to the HR Leadership team for approval. It was great to be given that real responsibility, and it was a good chance to put my project management skills into practice. I was very excited when my proposal was approved and implemented within the HR team..

I had the chance to take part in a course on Design Thinking as part of the internship. My manager suggested it would be a useful approach for my independent project, and they were right. It was incredibly beneficial – helping me focus on the desired outcome of a project in terms of what we wanted the consumer (in our case, the employee) to think, feel and do. It was a way of working I hadn’t considered before, but it made all the difference on the project, and I’ll definitely use what I have learnt in the future.

The whole experience is really tailored to you. In the first week, I sat down with my manager and they asked what I wanted to get out of the internship. We established goals, looked at events I could attend and considered how I could make the most out of my time at the firm. From there, it was a great chance to learn through a mixture of observing others, attending formal courses and – best of all – getting some real responsibility. It really made me feel included and valued in my role.

I applied for the internship at Ballie Gifford because the firm seemed to radiate excitement to me. They aren’t afraid to be unconventional or take their own approach, and that really appealed to me. When you join the firm, you’re immersed in an unrivalled culture that welcomes different attitudes and perspectives. In my team and right across the wider network, everyone was really welcoming and supportive.

I worked with the Governance team, who ensure the firm operates efficiently, legally and successfully, by keeping all the other functions updated on changes in legislation, policy or structure. Shadowing a team of senior project analysts, I took minutes at meetings and worked on a project comparing and analysing cross-jurisdictional legislation. I also had the chance to work with people right across the department to create ‘The Game’, an interactive way of highlighting our purpose and function for the rest of the firm.

I learned a lot just by watching and listening while working with the team, but the internship also offered loads of opportunities for developing technical and professional skills. Baillie Gifford helped me achieve the CISI Introduction to Securities and Investments – not only providing training and support but even paying the fees too. Another highlight was the Mark Your Mark coaching programme, which was all about empathy and self-respect. It fundamentally shifted my mindset for the better and I’m now working hard on building my self-confidence.

I found the whole internship both comforting and challenging. While I felt completely at ease, I was also more motivated than ever to work hard and make a genuinely valuable contribution. Whatever team you’re in, they push and support you to thrive. If you show interest and enthusiasm for the firm and the team, they do the same for you – helping you reach your goals, build your network and make real progress.

My internship was with the Central Information Management team, which manages the firm's fund data. As this team works closely with lots of others around the business, I learnt about their responsibilities as well as several other functions in investment operations.

During my placement I found ways to improve some of the team’s processes and helped them shorten delivery times. It didn't matter that it was an unconventional route into finance either. At Baillie Gifford, it's about the skills and perspective you have rather than what subject you studied

One of the reasons I decided to apply to the graduate programme, after the internship, was that Baillie Gifford really cares about its staff. In engineering, I could have found myself working 14 hour days and living on oil rigs. While at Baillie Gifford, I could have a challenging job that I would really enjoy but also be home in time to have a life outside of work.

I was really impressed by the amount of training offered during my placement, especially because some of the courses were delivered by external providers. The firm was very willing to invest in me, even though I was only there for a short period. Everyone I met was so friendly and willing to answer my questions. This level of engagement and investment in my development has continued throughout the Business Operations graduate programme and into my role in Internal Audit.

After finishing my undergraduate degree, I worked for some international development charities. This was when I became interested in how organisations engage with their staff and decided to do an HR qualification. Rather than apply for jobs after my Masters, I wanted to get a placement that would give me an oversight of the whole HR function and help me find the right specialism to build my career. Therefore, I applied to Baillie Gifford because they have a large HR department and a reputation for looking after their staff.

As I had already worked for nearly two years before my Masters, I was slightly concerned that the placement wouldn’t be challenging enough. However, I needn’t have worried as I was given a great mix of responsibilities. As well as helping with day-to-day tasks, I’ve been working on longer terms projects to develop an internal training course and research a new recruitment initiative. The work has been challenging but also incredibly rewarding.

It’s a really supportive environment here. Our achievements are acknowledged, and they encourage us to learn from any mistakes. I have regular meetings with my line manager to go through any questions or concerns, and she’s always willing to stop what she’s doing to explain things to me.

To succeed at Baillie Gifford, you need to have a positive mindset and be open to everything that comes your way. You have to be proactive. My involvement in several projects came about because I had shown an interest and accepted the opportunity to get involved. If you’re ready for a challenge, then you can learn a lot at Baillie Gifford.

Since finishing my placement, I have remained working for Baillie Gifford and I now sit in the Employee Lifecycle Team in HR as a Senior Adviser. I am continuing to learn in this role and have gained a lot of experience in the past few years – this includes employment law, data analytics, people management and stakeholder management. I am looking forward to continuing my career at the firm.

I knew of Baillie Gifford’s reputation as a friendly firm with a strong cultural ethos, so I applied for the Client Administration placement. The interview process and induction were personal and showed me that the firm was interested in me as a person. This continued into the placement, where the aim was to teach us as much as possible while giving us tasks that add value to the business.

I worked in the Unitised team within the Client Administration department. This section looks after over 70 funds, and it was my task to write a description of each fund, its history and the day-to-day processes. It was a great project for an intern because it gave me an overview of all the different funds and how they work. As well as my ongoing projects, team members took the time to show me what they do day-to-day and gave me the chance to assist them, which I really valued.

Everyone is very open and welcoming, which creates an excellent environment for learning. Being part of such a supportive team that appreciated my hard work was the absolute highlight of my internship.

Although part of my degree is in economics, I wouldn’t say it put me ahead of anyone else. Interns come from a range of subject backgrounds, so you’re not expected to know anything about the industry at the start. I also got a lot of support from a mentor in the department. We had weekly catch-ups where I could ask questions and she even invited me to team social events. It was such a positive experience that I joined the firm permanently in 2019 on the Business Operations Graduate Programme.