“Don't stress about having your whole career mapped out”: LendInvest’s Ross Bennett on the next generation

“It’s the classic story you hear a lot in our industry, but it’s true for me, honestly, I just fell into it,” Ross Bennett, Director of Mortgage Operations at LendInvest, says as he reflects on his journey into mortgages and financial services.

“My plan was to ‘stick around’ for a little while and see what happened. Before I knew it, that ‘little while’ turned into a career. I genuinely fell in love with the industry, especially mortgages. It’s incredibly rewarding because we play a huge part in people's lives.

“As time went on, the sheer scale of it all really hit me - how big the market is, the incredible variety of products available, and the vast number of different roles and skills it takes to make everything work.”

The first “defining moment” for Ross came when he got “the opportunity to help build a brand-new department from scratch to support mortgage processing. It was a unique chance that threw me into the deep end, forcing me to learn everything from the ground up.

“This experience was the lightbulb moment when I realised that I had a true passion for operational management,” he adds, “I discovered that I love the fast pace of change, the thrill of complex problem-solving, and the opportunity to take a new idea and evolve it into a real, tangible efficiency. It cemented what I wanted to do and has driven my career ever since.”

Inspiring the next generation

According to Ross, the main reason why so many young people are still ‘falling into’ financial services is due to its image: “Our vibe is all wrong. From a surface level, we look like we're just about numbers, but the reality is we're helping people with huge life goals like buying a home.

“That's the story we need to be shouting about, and we need to shout where the younger generations are, like TikTok, not just the usual corporate channels - although we will always love LinkedIn!”

On making the industry more diverse and accessible for up-and-coming talent, Ross stresses the need to “stop fishing in the same pond.”

“We need to actually get out there and connect with different schools and colleges. We should be shouting about apprenticeships and school-leaver programmes, showing they're a brilliant alternative to uni.

“Honestly, we just need to ditch the stuffy, corporate vibe. Let's talk up the cool tech we're using and the real difference we make to show people this is actually a fun, challenging career that's open to anyone,” he says.

His advice for the next generation is to avoid “a super rigid plan” and take it all in: “Be a sponge. Don't stress about having your whole career mapped out on day one. There are so many jobs in lending that you've probably never even heard of, and it’s easy to box yourself in and miss out on cool opportunities.

“Let your career unfold naturally and grab chances as they come. Starting at a smaller, specialist lender is a great move for this, as you'll get to see how all the different parts of the business work together.”

For Ross, it was learning to lead with his own voice that made the difference: “The biggest mistake I made early in my career was focusing on the wrong priorities. I was so concerned with being the leader I thought senior management wanted to see that I was busy managing perceptions rather than leading people.

“The breakthrough came when I stopped trying to fit into a mould and started leading with my own authentic strategy, focusing on team empowerment. The crucial lesson is that your team needs your genuine vision, not a copy of someone else's. That’s when you truly start to move forward together,” he says.

Supporting success stories

“Our first Early Careers Programme, launched last year, has been a phenomenal success,” Ross says, “we brought on four talented mortgage interns who immersed themselves in the business through a comprehensive, end-to-end learning programme.”

“This initiative is already paying dividends for our long-term talent strategy; all four have transitioned into permanent roles and are hungry to grow, setting their sights on becoming future underwriters and leaders within our organisation.”

At LendInvest, Ross says that “we're far more interested in talent, drive, and curiosity than career experience. We’re not expecting a finished product. The purpose of our Early Careers Programme is to find talent and help them grow into potential future superstars.”

When it comes to opening the door for new talent, Ross explains how LendInvest is changing its approach to hiring: "Instead of just trying to fill an empty seat, we're focused on investing in people for the long run. That means we're looking for people who have what it takes to grow with us over the next five years and beyond. It’s not about filling one job; it’s about building our future team and giving new talent a place to really take off.

“We launched our second Early Careers Programme over the summer, enabling ambitious young talent to spend 18 months in our business, learning everything from how to create a proposition with our marketing team to underwriting a new loan and overviewing our business from a risk & control perspective. All this whilst studying towards a Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance Qualification,” he says.

But what role will the young professionals of today play in leading the industry of the future?

“Get ready to see AI continue to shake up the mortgage game,” Ross says, “that dream of a fully automated process is becoming a reality, and young people will be in the driver’s seat, not just passengers.

“They'll be the ones building these automated systems as Citizen Developers and leading the shift to trusting AI. They'll build better digital services simply because they know what 'good' looks like from their own experience.”

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