Real-world careers, real-world skills: Lumon insight day
Lumon recently hosted an insight day for Year 12 and 13 students from St Clement Danes School. The event gave students first-hand insight into a wide range of careers in finance, while helping them build practical employability skills and challenge common misconceptions about the industry.
The initiative was led by Todimu Sola-Idowu, People Operations Specialist at Lumon. She explained: “We wanted to give students a realistic view of what working in finance actually looks like. For many, it can feel like an intimidating or unfamiliar space, so the aim was to make it more accessible and show there are lots of different paths into the industry.” The day focused on breaking down stereotypes around corporate environments, such as the idea that all finance professionals “work in suits and ties.” and helping students see how their skills and interests could translate into a career in finance. By humanising the workplace, Lumon hoped students would be able to see themselves belonging in it.
The insight day also offered practical employability support through CV and interview workshops. Todimu described this as a vital part of the programme, ensuring students left with tools they could apply immediately. At the same time, the event offered meaningful volunteering opportunities for Lumon employees, who were keen to contribute to outreach work that felt purposeful.
Todimu and the Lumon team said they were “genuinely impressed” by the level of engagement throughout the day. Students asked thoughtful, in-depth questions and responded positively to feedback during the workshops. “It felt like we really made an impact,” she reflected.
One employee described the most rewarding part of the experience as “seeing the kids be interactive and participate and seeing them digest the knowledge we were passing across.” Another highlighted the mock interviews as particularly valuable, as they allowed students to “show their personality.” A third staff member reflected on the experience of “giving advice to students at a stage they had only been in just a few years ago,” demonstrating the relatability and authenticity that made the encounter impactful.
The students’ feedback highlighted how beneficial the day was. They loved learning about office culture with one commenting: “It really showed me an insight into office life and the importance of office culture” and another reflecting: “It helped me to understand how important working as a team can be in an office environment”. The practical workshops were also very popular with one student saying: “I think the interview session was particularly useful because it gave us advice on how to improve and gave us a situation in which we could practice.”
Mel Garwood-Evans, Career Coordinator and Adviser at St Clement Danes described the day as “invaluable”. She said: “Our Year 12 and 13 students gained insight into the Foreign Exchange industry during their visit to Lumon, where they developed essential employability skills through professional networking and practical CV workshops. The experience also highlighted the importance of corporate responsibility, with Lumon funding the planting of 20 trees in Madagascar to mark the school's visit. This day successfully provided our students with the tangible industry connections and professional tools needed to transition confidently into the world of work."
Looking ahead, Todimu is hoping to invite more students to future events and to offer deeper insight into the day-to-day reality of working at Lumon. She emphasised that insight days are an effective and manageable way to provide meaningful work encounters that benefit both students and employees alike. “Future First was essential in building the relationship with the school. It simplified the process for us”
Would you like to host an insight day for young people? Email us at employers@futurefirst.org.uk to find out more.
