Pawel Dawid

Before I applied, I knew very little about Baillie Gifford or the asset management industry. That changed from attending an open day and seeing how varied the people were. There was no obvious single template for who belonged there.  

The interview process reinforced it. Once through the initial application stages, it felt like a series of thoughtful conversations, with an online-first stage interview and an in-person second stage. I met with senior people who were genuinely interested in how I saw the world and how my background had shaped my thinking. 

That openness has carried into the programme itself. One of the things that makes the experience unusual is the level of access you get early on. I sit in the US Team, and day to day, I am surrounded by people with huge experience, including senior leaders of the firm. That kind of exposure is rare, and it changes how quickly you learn. 

The role itself is broad in the best sense. Analysing a company means looking at financials and valuation, but also management, culture, strategy and the wider industry backdrop. We meet companies directly, which helps bring those softer elements to life and turns the work into something much richer than desk-based analysis. 

What I particularly like is the breadth of research. We do not operate as narrow sector specialists, so the range of businesses you can explore is enormous. You might be thinking about Apple one week, a biotech company the next and a retailer after that. That variety really suits me. It is one of the reasons the programme appealed in the first place: the chance to keep learning and to build a set of skills that can be applied across very different industries and ideas. 

Some of my highlights have come from that breadth and access combined, whether on research trips to Japan and the US or in meetings with companies that shape global industries. Those experiences are exciting, but they are also useful because they sharpen your judgement. 

For me, Baillie Gifford stands out because it is optimistic, forward-thinking and willing to challenge assumptions. It is a place where curiosity is taken seriously and can take you a very long way. 

Please note that any references to current teams in bios are as of the time of writing and may not reflect the current situation due to the nature of the programmes.