NOVIA CAREERS DAY

The day was part of The RPA's Player Development Programme, which individually supports, guides and assists our members in their personal and professional development and also provides them with an opportunity to fulfil their potential and prepare for life after rugby.

Novia offers financial advisers an online platform for the effective management of investments, providing them with the ability to build and maintain their clients' investment portfolios efficiently. The company which is based in Bath was launched in 2008 and currently employs over 120 people.

During the course of the day the players were given an overview of the financial services market place, Novia's position in the market and the roles played by the various departments within Novia. Additionally, the players were given advice on the requirements for a career in the finance sector and on handling the process of changing careers by those who have entered financial services from other industries.

Bath backrow, Andy Beattie, found the experience extremely beneficial: "A big thank you to Novia for an insightful and informative day. It was interesting to see how a big financial sector business operates on a day-to-day basis. It was also important for us to hear from employees from different areas of the business and from different backgrounds about how they got to where they are today."

Bill Vasilieff, CEO at Novia, said: "We were really pleased to help to provide an insight into working in Financial Services for the players at Bath Rugby. Novia, as the main partner of Bath Rugby is a very successful Financial Services company based in Bath, we launched to market in Jan 2009 and since then have seen the business grow and reach profitability in record industry time. Financial Services is such a fast moving and varied discipline it provides many opportunities for diverse career progression and we were delighted to be able to talk through the various business areas with the players. The partnership between financial services and rugby goes beyond sponsorship arrangements. I believe to be successful in both you need to have a certain drive and level of integrity as well as a strong focus on team work. These attributes, evident in a successful rugby team like Bath, would be useful for any employer and we were thrilled to be able to host a very enjoyable day for some of the players at Bath."

Richard Bryan, The RPA Player Development Manager for Bath, felt the day to have been a huge success: "The RPA would like to thank both Bath Rugby and Novia for making this opportunity possible for the players. Not only did the players have the chance to learn about the financial sector but also were able to see how such a business functions and the type of qualities it looks for in recruiting people. One of the employees who spoke to the players is an ordained minister who's made the move from the church to financial services and it was good for the players to hear first-hand about the challenges and opportunities in making a career transition. It's also a real advantage for The RPA's Player Development Programme to be able to work with a club partner in this manner."

If you would like to learn more about The RPA Player Development Programme and how to get involved, please call Caroline at The RPA on 0208 831 7930 or email cguthrie@theRPA.co.uk