The OakNorth Graduate Rotational Programme has helped to discover some of the best young talent in banking today. By giving a flavour of multiple departments of the bank, our grads can see the impact of our work from different perspectives and get introduced to roles they may never have considered.
The scheme has attracted bright young students from across the world, and this is particularly true of our most recent cohort to begin their permanent roles in 2023. From India to Mexico, we’re finding the next generation and helping to set them up for brilliant careers. So we sat down with Rose, Olusola and Francisco to see what brought them to OakNorth and what they’ve learned along the way.
Rose Thomas, India
What did you study at university and how did that influence your decisions for what you wanted to do after graduating?
I completed my master’s in Business Analytics from Warwick Business school, a degree that meant I could venture into any industry.
However, as I was unsure of which field I wanted to pursue, I did a couple of internships, including one at OakNorth which helped me narrow down on the sector.
What made OakNorth’s Graduate Rotational Programme stand out?
The opportunity to rotate within multiple departments of the bank and not just intra-department really stood out to me as a graduate applying for her first job as it meant I could make an informed decision on what I wanted to do permanently.
Can you give us an overview of a typical day in your graduate role at OakNorth Bank?
This is a hard question as no day looks the same at OakNorth. Besides having meetings with people across the bank, a typical day would involve working towards a larger project that I have ownership of while helping and supporting BAU tasks for the wider team.
What was the most valuable thing you learnt as a graduate at OakNorth Bank?
To never be afraid to try new things and ask questions.
Having a pure mathematical and data background, I was unsure of fitting into the financial sector, but everyone at OakNorth is extremely helpful and always ready to answer questions. My manager has also given me projects where I am able to interact with the Credit and Debt Finance team giving me the opportunity to understand the sector better.
What new skills have you developed from your time as a graduate?
Something I have learnt and am still learning is the importance of good communication and how to prioritise work.
I’ve also learnt to see things from different perspectives and adapt solutions to meet different user needs.
What was it about the marketing team that stood out to you and made you want to join permanently?
Being with the marketing team made me realise that my perception of what a marketing team does was mostly incorrect. The wide range of projects that the team takes on – from understanding the whole sales funnel, processes involved along the customer journey, and systems used for data capture to brand management, website and lead generation – meant interaction with almost all the other teams in the bank, and that is what made me want to join the team.
Then there’s obviously the people!
What does it mean to you to join a bank with such a diverse workforce?
A bigger opportunity for learning.
Interactions with people of different seniorities, cultures, skills and technical knowledge help me understand things better through different perspectives, schools of thought and approaches.
Why did you decide to complete a master’s degree in the UK after receiving your bachelor’s degree in India?
I’ve always wanted to study in a country other than India, for the diversity, difference in educational systems and greater opportunities for career progression.
Being of Indian heritage, did a bank with a strong Indian connection factor into your choice to apply to OakNorth?
Not really as I always had the choice to go back and work in India.
But looking back, it does help to have co-workers of similar heritage as it helps create a certain level of comfort and connection in an otherwise new environment.
What is it about working with data that makes you tick?
Everything! But mostly the ability to put figures on something that is hearsay in order to claim validity/prove a stance in a manner that everyone can comprehend it.
Senior Director of Marketing Hugo Sousa has been impressed with how Rose has impacted the marketing team. “Rose is a doer with a constant positive attitude towards problems: no challenge is too small; she is always ready with her sleeves up and starts breaking the big problem into quick and tangible outcomes. She is a very fast learner and has picked up programmes from Salesforce and Hubspot to our commercial propositions and internal processes very quickly. Rose is results focused – she will clearly understand the objective, the timelines and when to deliver. Her output is consistently strong across projects and tasks, irrespective of size and complexity.”
Olusola Netufo, Nigeria
What did you study at university and how did that influence your decisions for what you wanted to do after graduating?
I completed a master’s degree in Business and Finance from Warwick University, and a career in financial services was the appropriate progression as helping companies finance their strategic needs appeals to me.
What made OakNorth’s Graduate Rotational Programme stand out?
The opportunity to see how a bank works from within.
What was it about the credit team that stood out to you and made you want to join permanently?
The diversity of cases considered in credit is what stood out the most to me.
The opportunity to see different business models at varying scales and with varying financial structures creates an environment of constant learning.
Can you give us an overview of a typical day in your graduate role at OakNorth Bank?
My day typically starts with a quick glance at my calendar and a review of my to-do list, after which I mark out time to knock each task off the list. Due to the nature of the firm, there are always a few unexpected events during the day that keep you on your feet.
What was the most valuable thing you learnt from the Graduate Rotational Programme?
Relationship building and maintenance.
What new skills have you developed from your time in the Graduate Rotational Programme?
People skills (Collaboration and Networking); Technical skills in Excel and PowerPoint.
What does joining a bank with such a diverse workforce mean to you?
It is nice to be in an environment with diverse cultures and backgrounds. It presents a good base for innovative ideas.
Why did you decide to complete a master’s degree in the UK after receiving your bachelor’s degree in Nigeria?
London continues to be one of the world’s major financial hubs, and it has always been a dream of mine to succeed here.
You completed two internships in Nigeria – how did they differ from your OakNorth grad scheme?
Both internships were within different sub-sectors of financial services but combined well with my experience at OakNorth to give me a holistic base to succeed from.
Having worked in finance in both Nigeria and the UK, what have you noticed is similar and what differs between the two?
The UK has a more robust regulator.
Francisco Margalef, Mexico
What did you study at university and how did that influence your decisions for what you wanted to do after graduating?
I studied Economics and Finance. During my time at university, I had the chance to learn about and research different disciplines and sectors and realised that due to my desire to continue learning, a career with exposure to different disciplines would best suit my interests.
What made a graduate role at OakNorth stand out to you?
The openness and collaboration between teams of different disciplines and with different skills create an environment conducive to learning.
What about the credit team stood out to you and made you want to join permanently?
The team is very friendly and open, with everyone willing to share their skills regardless of their seniority. Also, the opportunity to learn about our borrowers and their businesses by attending credit committees is very appealing to me.
Can you give us an overview of a typical day in your graduate role at OakNorth Bank?
My tasks vary daily, but I always start the day by reviewing my weekly calendar and deciding which tasks must be prioritised. There is also typically at least one daily credit committee to attend, and I make time to work on long-term projects alongside my routine activities.
What was the most valuable thing you learnt on the Graduate Rotational Programme?
The importance of collaboration between teams.
What new skills have you developed from your time in the Graduate Rotational Programme?
Excel skills, communication and networking skills.
What does joining a bank with such a diverse workforce mean to you?
I am very happy to work in such a diverse workplace as it allows me to consider different approaches I wouldn’t have considered.
What drew you to study your two degrees in London?
The fact that London is a good place to build my career.
What part of credit stood out to you having studied finance and economics?
The opportunity to see how different factors in businesses translate to loan covenants, loan structures and risk considerations like the probability of default.
What made you want to work in a graduate role in London having moved from Mexico?
London has a highly developed financial services sector, with more opportunities to specialise in potentially niche sectors than most other places.
The Credit team noted the considerable impact of both Olusola and Francisco. “They’ve certainly done their homework on the purpose and being of OakNorth. Both are insightful, thoughtful, and really appreciate the opportunity to contribute to meaningful change. They are highly career motivated, possess a clear technical proficiency and go the extra mile in delivery.”
From graduate roles to senior managers, we’re a bank with a flat structure and an open mind for working together collaboratively. If this is the way you like to work, check out our open roles.
