A Day in the Life of – Janis Thompson

As a Senior Underwriter the main part of my role is assessing higher risk and complex mortgage enquiries, from Decision in Principle (DIP) through to offer. I look at enquiries that are outside normal policy and assess more complex applications, including customers with limited company accounts and Portfolio Landlord BTLs. I’m able to use my knowledge and expertise to help support the wider mortgage business, and chat with BDM’s and brokers pre-application to help shape those more complex applications.

What does your morning routine look like? 

My day usually begins around 6 a.m. – I’ll see my husband off to work around 7 a.m. and then make sure my 13-year-old is up and ready for school. I usually open the laptop around 8 a.m. and start the day picking up any emails or queries that came in late the previous day. I can then concentrate on the priorities for that day, which can include assessing new applications, reviewing complex post or documentation, or giving applications a final check to make sure everything is okay before offer.

What does a typical afternoon look like?

More of the same in the afternoon, trying to keep daily workloads within our agreed SLAs. I will also pick up any queries from the wider operations and help brokers and BDMs with scenarios that range from being within policy to those that sit just outside.

What do you find to be your most productive time of the day?

I find first thing in the morning to be the most productive – after that first cup of coffee I’m raring to go!

How do you manage your time to ensure you have a good work / life / home balance?

At Virgin Money we promote ‘A Life More Virgin’, which is designed to help colleagues’ wellbeing and provides greater flexibility to achieve a healthy work/life balance. Working remotely since COVID obviously makes this much easier, especially when you have appointments or childcare issues.

What is your favourite part of your working day in your role?

I spend a lot of time dealing with complex applications that often need a bit of extra attention to get them to final offer. It’s very satisfying being able to tell a broker or customer that you’ve been able to get an offer out on an application that doesn’t quite fit our policy, and getting great feedback as a result is nice too.

What does a typical dinner time look like in your household?

My husband and I tend to sit down together for dinner around 6 p.m. We both work demanding, full time jobs so it would normally be something quick and easy – I’m certainly no cook! My son doesn’t like to eat that late, so he tends to eat before us then heads back to his room.

What do you do to unwind?

During the evening I normally relax by watching the soaps or a football match on the TV, maybe with a glass of something nice. At the weekend we like to spend time together, catch up with family and friends or go for a nice walk somewhere.

If you could give one piece of career advice what would it be?

We’re only human, so learn from your mistakes and trust your instincts.

How important has your support network been in helping you through your role?

It’s really important, especially when you work remotely and you don’t have someone just sat next to you. I’m lucky to work with a great team who all have a wealth of experience and knowledge, and that means that I always have someone I can talk to –  whether that be to chat through an application I’m unsure about or get advice about issues outside of work.

Does your job require a degree?

Not at all! I achieved GCSE grades in core subjects and left school at 16, after which I went straight into a 2-year youth training programme where I achieved an NVQ in Administration…that’s it! I’ve been with Virgin Money (previously Northern Rock) since 1998, starting out as a Junior in Mortgage Operations doing filing etc., (in the days before we went paperless) and working my way up through mortgage processing, team management and finally into underwriting and senior underwriting.