Two minutes with… Joel Davies

After three weeks’ work experience as part of MRM’s annual education and internship programme, intern Joel reflects on his time with the business and shares his experiences and key takeaways as well as his aspirations for the future.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Joel Davies. I’m about to enter Year 13 at Westminster City School and study English Literature, History and Spanish. My family is from Sierra Leone, and I live with my mum with my immediate family being all over England. Outside of school I love to play and watch tennis, write poetry, watch sitcoms/comedies and crime dramas, take walks, and listen to music. I’m also learning how to lipread. I’m a member of Westminster Youth Council and come September/October I should be starting my first job as a Maths and English tutor and helping the Jack Petchey Foundation run a year-long personal development programme.

Why did you choose to do your work experience here at MRM?

I chose to do my work experience at MRM because having completed the six-week education workshop, I knew it was the right place for me. Every single staff member that I interacted with during those sessions was inviting, helpful, kind and a pleasure to be around! So when it came time to choose where I would do work experience in the summer, I applied for a place.

What did you take away from your time here at MRM?

Over the three weeks here at MRM I have learned so many valuable skills and knowledge about the industry that I will take with me wherever I go next.

I was involved in many tasks including coverage monitoring, writing articles for Mouthy Money, news reviews and analysis, and conducting research and analysis into finfluencers and important calendar dates and awareness months.

I would say despite all of this the main thing learned is how importance is it to give 100% of your effort to the tasks that arise as this is something that will apply to every aspect of my life

What accomplishments are you most proud of and why?

I would say I have two main ones in my life so far.

One of my biggest accomplishments is when I was in the regional finals of the Jack Petchey Speak Out challenge two years ago. I had to  give a speech (my first public speech) about my identity and culture on stage in front of around 50 people, I was extremely nervous having had just two days to prepare and about halfway through my speech, I froze and completely forgot what I had to say next. I kept going and despite everything I came third in that competition. The pride in my mum’s face made it all worth it.

The second one was in July, when I participated in my borough’s social tennis league. I lost both my first two matches in straight sets and this. streak of disappointment continued into my third match. I was ready to give up decided to persevere and see the tournament out. I ended up winning six games in a row and then the final set tiebreak to seal my first victory in the league.

Both these situations taught me that fear and what we perceive as embarrassment is truly all in our heads. We have the ability and power to do whatever we put our minds to and controlling the situation instead of letting it control you is a key part in allowing us to win against all odds.

Do you think it’s important for young people to learn about the importance of money and if so, why?

Absolutely, it’s crucial for young people to learn about the importance of money. Understanding financial literacy from an early age provides the skills to manage finances wisely, avoid debt, and make informed decisions, as well as being prepared for future financial responsibilities.

I have met many young people like me who still don’t know about basic financial terms that they will need in their not-so-distant futures because there isn’t enough emphasis on preparing students for an adult world with adult finances. I think this is what has sparked my desire to write about personal finance in the future..

What do you think financial services PR is?

Financial PR really appealed to me. The way it supports the financial services sector through managing  reputations, investor relations, and crises, is something that piqued my interest and the human interaction that comes with it is an added benefit that allows you to keep grounded and connected.

What are your future life/career goals?

After A-Levels, I want to study in the US, mainly because of their liberal arts curriculum, higher emphasis on a strong campus culture and extracurricular activities, as well as the opportunity to develop my global awareness. Regardless of where I would go in the world, I would love to study Linguistics and / or Spanish, and my personal aim is to be fluent in five languages by the time I leave university (English, Spanish, Krio, Dutch and Indonesian). I also aim to take a semester or year abroad to continue exploring new places and cultures. After university I would like to begin a career as a financial journalist, but never give up exploring places across the planet!