Employee Q&A with Freddie Bermingham, Consultant – Financial Services
Employee Q&A with Freddie Bermingham, Consultant – Financial Services
Which university did you attend?
University of Bristol
What made you want to move to London?
A lot of my friends were moving to London so naturally I was drawn to it anyway, but among other things I wanted to try a new city and London seemed the obvious choice because of its size and the number of opportunities available
Can you share with us 3 of your favourite things to do / places to visit in London? Also, one hidden gem?
Watching Arsenal play at the Emirates
Angel is a great area to go to for pubs and food – particularly The Castle if you like a rooftop space to have a few drinks
Swimming in the Hampstead Heath ponds is great, particularly with the weather like it has been recently!
Not sure how much of a hidden gem it is but Mercato Mayfair is worth a visit
How would you describe the culture & reward at Trace?
I’d describe the culture and reward at Trace as inclusive and fair whilst also being meritocratic; the rewards are very generous but are dependent on good performance (not just individually, also as a team)!
Since joining Trace, how has your role progressed / evolved?
I joined Trace as a graduate which meant that I came in as an associate, mostly doing candidate work and working alongside the consultants in the firm. After a few months my role became more and more like that of a consultant, just with the extra support necessary as I was eased on to working more closely with clients and handling the whole back-to-front recruitment process. Having had those months of transition I now work as a consultant!
What do you most enjoy about working at Trace?
The support that has been in place throughout my first year has been brilliant; there’s always a helping hand on offer from someone more experienced than I. On the softer side, the rewards and incentives have been great, we’ve had some great days/weekends away.
In what ways does Trace make you feel valued and appreciated?
Achievements are always celebrated, both professional and personal, and there’s a real emphasis on being able to have a good work-life balance.
Trace operates a hybrid style of working. How does this compliment your work / life balance?
It’s great to have the flexibility to work from home 2 days a week – it means being able to do things like go home to visit my parents for the weekend but stay for 4 days and work the Friday and Monday remotely instead of just being able to visit for the Saturday and Sunday.
What is your proudest achievement professionally and personally?
My proudest achievement professionally has been my start as a consultant. There are a lot of ups and downs in recruitment, and I’ve certainly experienced those highs and lows, which has taken a fair amount of perseverance and hard work to come through.
My proudest achievement from a personal perspective is probably achieving a First-class degree from University and securing it with a first in my dissertation.