International Women’s Day

Q&A with our Compliance Manager, Sam Roberts

 For International Women’s Day 2022, we are celebrating the women in our company – their achievements throughout their career as well as all the hard work. 

We sat down with our Compliance Manager, Sam Roberts (other job titles are also Paraplanner, Head of Party Planning, Super Mum, Super Work Mum, Chief Office Organiser) to speak about her career in Financial Services, the challenges that she has faced, the opportunities available in Financial Services and what she would like to see in the future.

What are your overall thoughts on working in the Financial Services Industry?

Having spent over 10 years working within the financial services industry, I can certainly say that it brings with it a definite sense of job satisfaction. Particularly when supporting clients directly with their personal or business mortgages. Reviewing an individual’s financial circumstances to significantly improve them will never get boring.

The financial services industry is fast paced and ever changing so it is key to keep on top of industry updates, your learning will never cease, every day will be different, and you must ensure that you do not become arrogant enough to believe that you ‘know it all’.

The part of the job I love the most is providing clients with end to end, first-class service. We pride ourselves on this which allows us to stand out in a very crowded marketplace.

Bank of England

What is it like to work for Amplo Mortgages/work for yourself?

Amplo offers a very relaxed and open working environment. Although our individual roles deal with tackling sensitive matters for our clients, which often require completion to tight timescales and therefore can become very pressurised, we still aim for a light-hearted feel to the office environment.

There is a fairly equal division of men to women across our office, we also have a diverse age range which leads to many varied conversations and life experiences that can be shared between all.

Working for yourself offers a great deal of flexibility, which for me as a mum of 2 and a step mum to 3 is incredibly important. I have, in the past unfortunately experienced working for other companies who were not as accommodating. These unpleasant experiences do allow me to fully appreciate the privileged position in which I now find myself.

I am also incredibly lucky that the role I have within the company allows for this flexibility, as I can work outside of the ‘normal’ 9-5 work routine. This does lead to some late night & weekend working, however, it means I am available for my children to drop them off at school and attend the important events. Being available for my children allows me to be more focused when I am working, it also prevents the dreaded ‘guilt’ which I think every parent can relate to.

Any hurdles that you’ve had to overcome?

Making the decision to work for Amplo was not one I made lightly, joining a business that is partly run and owned by my partner was not something to be rushed into and there were many a conversation had before I finally agreed to join.

1. Would it cause issues at home?
2. Would we have anything else to talk about?
3. Would we be able to separate work life from home life?
4. Were we comfortable with 100% of the household income coming from the same source?

As it turns out we make a fantastic team both at home and at work. I can safely say it is the best decision I could have made both professionally and personally.

Much like the concerns I had with regards to working alongside my partner, I was also concerned about how I would be received by the existing team members. I hoped that my years of financial and business support experience would allow them to see the skills that I could bring to the team, and I needn’t have worried, I felt comfortable from day one. This sense of welcoming is something that we aim to reflect upon each new team member.

What opportunities can you find working in Financial Services?

Working within financial services offers you a wealth of opportunities depending on where you would like your career to take you and how hard you are willing to work.

There are various paths for you to choose to find your route into the financial services industry, you can use the apprenticeship route or gain your qualifications through higher education.

If already employed, I would recommend speaking with your manager and expressing your desire to further yourself in your chosen career path, be it to advise in mortgages, as a financial adviser or maybe even a protection specialist.

A good employer will guide you down the best route available and may perhaps even aid in the costs associated with the training required.

 

What would you like to see in the future?

Regardless of the situation in our own office, it remains that there is still a gender gap when it comes to promotions and/or levels of pay within the financial services industry. Preferably sooner rather than later I would like to see employers going further and making strides to promote confidence in women, encouraging them to reach for those higher roles, which they may have ordinarily shied away from.