From classroom to corporate careers

Vivine Cameron speaks to two Coventry University graduates about how CII qualifications led them to careers as financial advisers

In 2018, the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) launched a higher education (HE) partnership with universities across the UK, enabling students to study to towards CII professional qualifications at an academic rate.

Patryk Mirowski and Matthew Davis-Skeggs were two graduates who took that opportunity and, after embarking on R01 – Financial Services, Regulations and Ethics during the pilot of HE Alignment at Coventry University, have now begun successful careers in the profession.

Mr Mirowski joined Succession Wealth in September 2019, after securing a place on its wealth planner graduate programme.

“When my university launched its wealth management mentoring scheme for those studying finance, I began to learn more about financial planning, the responsibilities of different roles in the profession, career opportunities and a financial planner’s day-to-day activities.

“By the end of the scheme, I had completely made up my mind that I wanted to pursue a career in wealth management. I was then able to choose my final-year study modules that were most suitable for working in financial planning,” says Mr Mirowski.

Advantage with employers

Although Mr Mirowski had not yet taken his CII exams when the recruitment process with Succession Wealth began, he highlighted that he was studying towards R01 in his cover letter and during both interview stages, which he is sure gave him an advantage with the potential employer.

“I was over the moon when I received a call from Succession Wealth offering me the role. They told me they had been really impressed by my clear career goals and my desire to develop, as well as the fact that I had started studying for R01 before finding a job,” he says.

Mr Davis-Skeggs is now a financial adviser at St. James’s Place Wealth Management. He joined the company as a business administrator after obtaining a first-class honours degree in finance from Coventry University and has since gone on to qualify with the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning.

“In the future, I wish to continue my studies with the intention of passing the Advanced Diploma and obtaining Chartered financial planning status,” says Mr Davis-Skeggs. “I aspire to become fully qualified and am excited to have my own clients who I can help with their planning and assist them with mapping out a brighter financial future.

“In the long term, I have the desire to run my own practice and continue to offer valuable financial planning to my clients,” adds Mr Davis-Skeggs.

Mr Mirowski continues: “I would definitely recommend starting your CII qualifications while at university, as many chapters will probably overlap with your university modules and certainly be an advantage during any interviews, showing employers your willingness to learn and develop.

“My main mid-term goal is now to become a Chartered financial planner – the highest standard for planners in our profession.”

Get in touch

If you are a HE provider or an employer interested in HE alignment arrangement and would like to know more, contact Vivine Cameron at: EducationPartnershipCoordinator@cii.co.uk

Vivine Cameron is education partnerships manager of the CII