The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Administrative Assistant / Office Support
1-2 yearsSkills to master
- Organisation, scheduling, basic data entry, professional communication, attention to detail.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently manages multiple tasks without errors.
- Demonstrates excellent phone and email etiquette.
- Proactively identifies and resolves minor office issues.
- Shows initiative in learning new administrative software.
- 2
Customer Service Representative
1-3 yearsSkills to master
- Client empathy, problem resolution, clear communication under pressure, handling sensitive information, adherence to scripts/processes.
You're ready to move on when
- Receives positive feedback for client interactions.
- Successfully de-escalates client concerns.
- Consistently meets service level agreements (SLAs).
- Demonstrates a calm and professional demeanour with challenging clients.
- 3
Recent Graduate (Non-Finance Degree)
0-1 year (with relevant internship/work experience)Skills to master
- Structured thinking, research skills, project support, eagerness to learn industry specifics, professional work ethic.
You're ready to move on when
- Quickly grasps new concepts and applies them.
- Asks thoughtful questions to deepen understanding.
- Delivers high-quality work on assigned projects.
- Shows strong initiative in self-directed learning.