ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Nafeesa Zaman, 23, junior financial journalist, Rhotic Media

So what do you actually do?

I am a junior financial journalist for a financial content agency. I write news stories for a range of clients in the financial industry.

A typical week at Rhotic Media consists of various news shifts, daily financial news stories on big US banks, assets managers and political. On occasion I write features, complete research for clients and read a LOT of Financial Times articles.

What has your career path been?

My interest in journalism truly sparked when I was in college. Prior to this I've always had a strong interest in writing - English was definitely my favourite class!

At college I studied media studies, English language and English literature. I knew I had a solid interest in all of these areas, and instead of specialising in one subject, I decided on journalism because it was a culmination of everything I loved. It combined writing, digital skills and analysing.

When I applied for various universities, all of them were journalism-based. I simply could not envision myself doing anything else. I was also dead set on moving out to London and my dreams came true! At one point the university sent a paper cut out of a university building and I cut it out, glued it together and stuck it next to my window to remind myself of where I was going.

At university, I did a degree in journalism which had a major focus on digital journalism. I did a combination of theory modules which gave me a solid foundation in the history of journalism, politics, media law, and different forms of journalism including mobile journalism, data journalism, social media, video reporting, feature writing, photo journalism and arts, fashion and culture journalism. I also worked on the university news website which was very enjoyable.

It was a fantastic degree and I barely missed one day because I loved it so much. It was also fantastic being in the heart of London because there was always something fun happening!

In my third year of university, the pandemic hit and I was encouraged to go home by my university. In March before lockdown happened I spent the remainder of my third year at home. I was happy to be back home but I missed university and was sad I didn't get a chance to complete my degree on campus.

It was definitely a bitter sweet moment but in the meantime I was busy completing my final project for university (the equivalent of a dissertation, but much shorter thankfully!) which was on plastic waste in the takeaway industry.

After university officially finished, I gave myself a much needed six-month break before I dove into hunting for jobs. Despite the circumstances, I was optimistic I would find a job after my break. After a couple of interviews/job applications, I landed a job at Cifas - an anti-fraud prevention service. I worked on a contract basis for six-months and learned the ins and outs of fraud. I wrote some blogs for the Cifas website and wrote daily fraud intelligence updates for the public. It was an interesting experience and was a great taster of the working world.

Whilst working at Cifas, I also wanted to expand my writing portfolio. I completed an internship at NBGA Magazine, where I wrote several articles about fashion, beauty, skincare, culture and music. It was a great experience and it gave me the opportunity to break out of news stories and be more creative. I also wrote some bits for Modestish - a modest fashion website and Small Screen a pop culture website.

After my internship and contract at Cifas finished, I was back on the job hunt. I had some optimism I would find a job but I was worried about how the pandemic would impact what kind of jobs were available, particularly in journalism which was hit hard.

I recall trying to get work experience with the local newspaper and unfortunately the editor said everything was on stand still due to the pandemic.

Following several job applications, I landed an interview with UK Finance as a marketing intern. I completed two interviews and was optimistic I would get the role but unfortunately I did not as I did not have any marketing experience.

On LinkedIn I came across a job advert from my current role, from someone at my university. I had seen some of their work published online and it looked fantastic. I knew this is a job I really wanted so I did everything I could to prepare for the interview. After two rounds of interviews and a writing test, I got a call from the founder of the firm and was told I secured the job along with another new hire. I was absolutely ecstatic and it felt very surreal!

I began my role in May and have thoroughly enjoyed it so far! I work in fantastic team and it is great to be working with such talented journalists.

What is the best part of your job?

There are so many facets I enjoy but I think the most enjoyable part is that I learn something new every day.

Being exposed to the latest financial news for over six months I've picked up so much information about the financial world, from everything to cryptocurrency, stocks, asset management, to the US banking system, financial technology and even how finance intersects with sectors including politics and fashion which are both major interests of mine.

Prior to working in financial journalism I always had an interest in banks and the economy and to do this job every day means I can expand my knowledge in a sector I am genuinely interested in and constantly be challenged too - it never gets boring!

I also enjoy writing meaningful stories. Recently I wrote a story about imposter syndrome in asset management industry, and working parents and the attitudes towards them. Both stories did really well on the website and it was great to have my name right next to it!

Alongside learning about finance I feel even more confident and empowered about my personal finances - particularly investing and pensions and I thoroughly enjoy sharing all of this knowledge with my mum!

Why do you do your job?

I've been passionate about journalism for many years now. It started with buying the local newspaper for my mum from the local corner shop and watching BBC/Sky news for many years - my parents love to keep up with the news!

At the beginning of my career, I was unsure about which direction to go in. I knew I wanted to find a niche but I was unsure of which area to pursue. At university, as I was working on the university's local community website, I thought working for a local newspaper would be ideal or working for a national newspaper would be the ultimate 'successful' job.

However, slowly but surely I have been working towards financial journalism. One summer, I worked at call centre for PPI which was...interesting to say the least and I began learning about the banks, and then at Cifas, I learnt even more. I've always been interested in the finance world, perhaps not in the traditional sense, as I was not the biggest fan of maths, but I can see how I've slowly worked towards it. My current job has definitely sparked a ton of curiosity and I've identified new interests in finance too.

I do my job because is not only rewarding but challenging. Instead of doing repetitive tasks, each day is different and I feel like my writing has improved massively. I genuinely feel like a proper journalist and it is
also so good to see my name being published. Being able to share this work with friends and family is also a rewarding part of the job.

Mostly I do my job because I'm simply interested in the industry, and I am open to strengthening my skills and knowledge as a journalist. I am also glad I can work with a team of very talented journalists with several years of experience. Knowing that I am around people who have worked from the very bottom, to get to where they are now is also very inspiring.

I can imagine this is an industry I will stay in for a while!

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Don't be afraid to ask for help!

I remember when I first started out writing news stories about finance and coming across all these complicated words and acronyms. One of my colleagues said I would eventually grasp it all and I wondered how that would even be possible (although they were right!).

While Google is a great resource and there are a variety of good financial publications and websites out there, sometimes you just need someone to sit you down and explain things in basic terms.

Since working in the financial journalism industry, I've realised that pretty much everyone is friendly and open to helping you out. People remember exactly how it felt when they started out in their career so they definitely go the extra mile to help you out.

If you are doing an interview for example, don't be afraid to write simple questions. Having a basic understanding of the subject you are writing about from an expert who has studied/worked in the financial sector for years can help create an excellent article! It can even help you get commissioned again (which happened to me!).

Check out Nafeesa’s Twitter below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

A typical day begins something like this - I wake up around 8am or sometimes earlier if I am awoken by my kitten, Lilly.

I begin my morning routine which will always include a cup of tea - either green tea or a normal cuppa. I spend my mornings with my mum and/or cat. Breakfast ranges - usually something filling and light to get me through the morning. Since I work from home, I like to ensure my set up is comfortable. I arrange my laptop and mouse, and of course my much needed cup of tea to wake me up.

My work day begins at 9am and I open my Teams app, send a 'morning' message to my team and then catch up on emails which usually consist of lots and lots of press releases. Each day, I do something different but for this example, I'll be using Monday.

My day is divided into tasks for the AM and PM. For the morning I work on five news stories for a business strategy magazine for Europe's asset management professionals. I quickly write down one story which roughly takes around thirty minutes each and then file them into our system.

I work on the news stories until lunch time where I'll spend my time eating, scrolling through TikTok and Instagram, and sometimes a little digital drawing. Time flies by pretty quickly at this point!

At 1pm I will head back to my desk and finish of the articles I was allocated. I work through them as quickly as possible, though some may take longer if the subject is a little more complicated.

Once I've completed this, I usually take a quick glance on the Financial Times website to see what's going on. They have some great articles.

For my afternoon task, I write up a news story for a New-York based client which involves stories about US-based funds. I usually look through a file from the US Securities and Exchange Commission to find the key information and begin constructing my story. These stories take a bit longer as it includes financial data and additional context. At this point, it is around 4-5pm and my colleague gives the piece an edit and it is sent off to the client.

If I have any extra time, I'll have another read of the Financial Times - maybe an interesting feature story to keep myself occupied and check my schedule to see what tasks I have for the next day.

At 5pm, I will say bye to my colleagues and log off. I ensure I keep my laptop away from my desk to ensure a work/life balance. Since I work on a laptop all day, I try not to go on my phone for too long afterwards.

My evenings typically include the gym where I lift weights and run. It is lovely going to the gym after a long day of work as it helps me feel calm and makes me feel more productive especially in winter! After the gym I will make myself a filling meal, along with a dessert (a very important part of the day!).

After this point I will probably feel very tired, so I will watch Succession on Now TV (which also is kinda journalism/finance related!) or watch some vlogs/videos on YouTube to wind down. I will also spend time with my kitten who seems to have unlimited energy!

Some days I like to paint/draw - I have an art instagram where I currently post my latest creations. It is a relaxing hobby and definitely helps me switch off!

I aim to sleep early though it does not always happen. Lights out for around midnight and then I begin the day all over again!