Alison Shearer

My background wasn’t in finance or investment, so I was worried that I didn’t know enough to succeed in the assessment process. But at the interview they made it clear this wasn’t an issue and when I joined, the incredible training got me up to speed very quickly. Now, I’m into my first rotation, working on internal systems that support our investment department, including a research library that enables our investors to share and access research reports.

Together with four other graduate trainees, I volunteered to organise the firm’s Employee Networks Day, an event to promote and increase understanding of Diversity & Inclusion within the business. We had complete freedom to design the event, from arranging panel Q&As to inviting external speakers and sourcing branded merchandise. It was truly rewarding to see it all come together and a brilliant experience outside of my day-to-day responsibilities.

At Baillie Gifford I feel that managers genuinely care about me and my wellbeing. They put lots of time and resources into your personal development and continued growth, and there’s a wide range of both technical and personal training available, including online courses where I can study relevant topics at a time that suits me. It’s exciting to know this is an environment where I will keep learning and be challenged throughout my career, not just during the graduate programme.

I recently attended an event hosted by the LGBT+ Employee Network to kick-off Pride Month, where I met people from across the business and heard some really moving speeches from my colleagues. I’ve also joined BShe, a new employee-led network supporting all who identify as women in their career progression at Baillie Gifford. It’s exciting to help build something from the ground up and help the firm to become an even better place to work.