Meet Aladdin, Technology Associate and FDM Alumnus

Aladdin Kashout, currently placed with Morgan Stanley in London, has shared his story as an FDM Alumnus on why he chose FDM to launch his tech career.

As a recent graduate, I found it challenging to break into the tech sector. I didn’t have the experience many larger organisations seemed to need. I met FDM at a careers fair and learned more about their model of technical training, interview and CV preparation followed by placements working for highly-recognised clients. I might not have had access to many of these companies fresh out of university.

I joined FDM in 2016 and found the transition from university to the London Academy much easier than expected. The support from my trainers and fellow FDMers helped me feel comfortable in what I was learning, and introduced me to many new resources. All these elements have led me to my current role in tech today.

I started interviewing with clients for roles whilst I was still in training. I remember being surprised by the number of opportunities I was presented with so early on. Morgan Stanley was the second placement I undertook during my time with FDM. I was first placed within a brand-new team, which allowed me to work on a variety of exciting projects. I had a range of roles during my placement, one of which was within a team entirely focused on transforming a banking system to an agile structure. Now as a permanent employee at Morgan Stanley, I have many responsibilities and assist in various areas of the business.

Despite finishing my time with FDM, I still keep in touch with the team. I recently attended an alumni event in London where I caught up with some of the Account Managers, who do a great job keeping both present and past FDMers in the loop. At the event, I had the pleasure of bumping into someone I met during my first Assessment Day all those years ago! It had been over two years since I’d last seen him, and was great to talk about our roles and how far we’ve come.

Looking back from leaving university and worrying about my lack of experience to today where I have a fantastic job working for a world-renowned organisation, I can safely say joining FDM was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Want to gain more insight about life at FDM? Check out more blogs from our consultants:

• A Goal in One: My FDM Career Journey
• A New Leaf: My FDM Journey
• Trainee to Account Manager: My FDM Glow-Up