We took the time to sit down with Malakai, who worked with us as an intern last year, to find out how his internship with us helped him land a new accounting job in the Shard and more. Keep reading to check out what he had to say about his time at Lendoe and how it helped him prepare for his new role.
Lendoe: So Malakai, what was it about Lendoe that caused you to apply for our internship program?
Malakai: It was the mission that made me want to join. Start-ups are a great place to work because you get to help the business you are working for establish itself. Also Lendoe was all about helping other businesses within the BAME community, which is great because that meant my work could have double impact.
Lendoe: Prior to starting with us you worked at a number of banks and mid size finace firms. Other than size what would you say are the key differentiators between the other firms you worked for and Lendoe?
Malakai: With the other companies I worked for their structure doesn’t allow you to feel like your work is impacting the firm. Most times, you’re working on things that are just a tiny fraction of what the company does. This never inspired me or made me feel like my work had much purpose.
Whilst with Lendoe, I was shown exactly how every task I was given would directly or indirectly help the company move closer towards it’s next milestone. From supporting with financial models, suggesting ideas to improve accounting processes to getting involved in helping the team make decisions.
Lendoe: Could you give 3 tips for future interns who plan to work with early stage companies like Lendoe?
Malakai:
a. Be inquisitive. The nature of the business allows you to ask questions about the work and the different elements that indirectly impact your work.
b. Communicate regularly. Lendoe was small so everyones responsibilities tied in with on one and other — however because it was small I was able to reach out to anyone in the team at anytime. Having this access helped me a lot.
c. Be innovative. Having the opportunity to put forward different ideas was great because we executed on some of my proposals. This made my work mor enjoyable.
Lendoe: Thanks for the tips. Looking back at your time with us, what would you warn future interns to watch out for?
Malakai: Like any other start-up company, Lendoe could be helped with a more established process framework. It being so open has its benefits, i.e. being able to create your own structure etc. However, it makes it hard to instantly know how everything develops.
Learning how to work on tasks without much guidance or processes in place. As prepared as I was to help, it did feel a bit overwhelming at times. There was loads of expectations as soon as I started and no established framework to work from, so things often changed. This made figuring out how to do my given tasks hard sometimes, particular when I first started. I caught on in the end eventually but do feel it could have been a bit easier.
Lendoe: What are your plans now that you’ve completed your time at Lendoe?
Malakai: My personal plan is to continue the path that Lendoe helped me get back on. I want to become qualified accountant with a particular focus on the finance. This way, I’ll be able to help more businesses achieve their mission. I’m currently at Duff & Phelps, a financial consultancy company based in the Shard. I’ve been able to transfer the skills I used and learnt whilst at Lendoe and I’m really enjoying it. I’m looking forward to seeing where this new journey takes me.
Lendoe: Congrats on your new position. Thanks so much for your time Malakai.
To find out how you could get involved in our internship programme send in your CV to jobs@lendoe.com and we’ll revert with the different job specs available for you to apply for.
