ONE of the UK's leading actuarial and pension consulting firms, Quantum Advisory, has partnered with Cardiff University’s Career Mentoring Scheme in a bid to develop young professionals.

Launched in January 2021, the Career Mentoring Scheme places students with mentors from varying professional fields in order to give them further understanding of their chosen field, real career guidance and general support.

Three employees at Quantum Advisory, all of whom attended Cardiff University, applied to be mentors and are now in the process of completing six sessions over a four-month period with a matched mentee.

Charlie Laundon joined Quantum Advisory in 2017 as an accounts assistant after graduating. He said:

“I know I would have found the opportunity to talk to a career mentor massively valuable when I was a student, and I felt like I could offer helpful advice thanks to my time at Quantum.

“Not only did I help the mentee, but I also learnt new things myself. The scheme allows both of us to learn and succeed in different, but equally valuable, ways.”

Azam Tariq, accounting assistant at Quantum and part-time student tutor, said:

“Giving back to the community and building students’ confidence are key priorities of mine and this scheme allowed me to do just that.

“I wanted to give my mentee an insight into what is involved in my life as a trainee chartered accountant to help their awareness and preparation as they move into their final term, whilst empowering them to strive for success.”

Kieran Harwood joined Quantum in 2018 after completing a postgraduate degree in computer science. He said:

“When you finish your degree you have a lot of knowledge but all of it is theoretical, rather than practical. I found myself overqualified and underqualified at the same time, as the demands of business and the skills learnt from academia don't align as ideally as either might like.

“The Career Mentoring Scheme has allowed me to share some of my personal experiences and the lessons that I have learnt, giving advice and answering questions, rather than focusing on academia.

“Transitions are often stressful, and I think that this scheme can really help people build confidence, sketch out a career trajectory and avoid some of the pitfalls that can surprise the unprepared.”

Stuart Price, Partner and Actuary at Quantum Advisory, said:

“It’s great to see so many Quantum employees giving back to Cardiff University after the success they all have had there. The scheme is a great way to build the confidence and skillset of the future generation, and we’re proud to have played a part in it.”

Quantum Advisory, which has five offices across the UK, including Amersham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and London, provides pension and employee benefits services to employers, scheme trustees and members. For more information about your pensions, visit www.quantumadvisory.co.uk.