I came into Grant Thornton from a slightly different angle than the usual grads coming straight out of college - I worked in healthcare for almost 10 years before I decided to change careers. I’d studied accounting for the Leaving Cert, enjoyed it and was quite good at it, so that was what gave me the push to go down this route.

Originally I applied for an Accounting Technicians Ireland Apprenticeship programme. I interviewed with Grant Thornton and it was mentioned I had the educational background required to go straight into the grad programme as an accounting trainee, which I was so happy about.

For me, the fact that Grant Thornton not only fund my exams and courses and provide me with the support to study for three years but also help me gain the practical experience I need to become a qualified accountant is so important. 

I work in Financial Accounting and Advisory Services (FAAS) at the moment and I get the opportunity to work on different assignments for a wide variety of clients across different industries. Grant Thornton is a large global firm and you gain the advantage of working with top companies around the world but at the same time you reap the benefits of what I imagine it would be like working in a smaller firm because we’re such a close-knit firm.

Having a non-business background I feel like my skill set is really valued on the team. I’d 100% encourage anyone coming from a non-business background to not let that stop them from applying to a grad programme. Once you have a reason why you’d like to be an accountant or a passion for accounting or an interest in business, you have what it takes.