Joe W.
About me
| Joe W. | |
| Physics | |
| Physics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Alcuin | |
| 2011 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Manager, Financial Services | |
| EY | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Finance and consultancy | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2011 | |
| 27500 |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a Manager, Financial Services in the United Kingdom
Working with the smartest colleagues and most prominent clients on a daily basis
My career goals when I graduated
I didn't have a specific goal when I graduated, other than that I wanted to do well. I perhaps thought I would be better suited to a technical career, having graduated in Physics, but since then have really enjoyed managing people and working with clients.
My career history
I have now been at EY for 5 years. Over that time I have progressed from an Audit Associate through Audit Senior and was progressed to Audit Manager in 2015. This has given me a good route through learning the ropes to managing a team and clients in a relatively small period of time.
What has helped my career to progress
Being willing to put my hand up to take on as many experiences as possible and get to know as many people as possible. You need people to know your name and associate you with being a self-starter, and the opportunities will then be easier to find. But if you don't ask, you don't get.
Courses taken since graduation
I have studied with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2014. This is required learning for an auditor, but has also helped developed my broader awareness of the industry.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
Right now I intend to continue with EY in my service line - each year it is possible to continue to widen your experiences and skills without moving. I also hope to spend some time working abroad, which is something that is easily offered by EY.
My advice to students considering work
Start early. I got my job offer a year ahead of starting with EY, when there were still plenty of opportunities available. The later you wait the harder it gets.
Having said that, don't set your heart on a career too early at Uni. There is no need, it can come later.
My advice about working in my industry
Apply for internships. I didn't actually do one myself, but as time has passed this has become an increasingly good route to get a taster of the industry and also make yourself stand out from the crowd. Everyone has the same mix of University experiences on their CV, so you need to work to make yourself stand out.
Contacting me
I am happy to answer questions or give my thoughts on any topic related to employment.
I think I can be most use to students with a similar background to my own, looking for a career in Finance or Accountancy, and in particular in the Big 4.
What I do
As a Manager in the Financial Services Assurance practice, I am primarily responsible for delivery of audits of Insurers, Asset Managers and Pension Schemes, as well as delivering a number of consulting projects such as advising on acquisitions or new legislation. I am there to ensure a smooth delivery and a key point of contact for our clients, usually large or FTSE-listed groups.
Skills I use and how I developed them
In the first few years at EY, I developed my technical skills. I learnt how businesses and specifically insurers work, and how accounting and financial reporting plays an important part in their success.
As I have progressed, I have significantly developed my people skills, both in managing the teams on my audits (upwards of 20 people) and in working with clients with a range of backgrounds, from FTSE CEOs to junior accountants in small businesses.
What I like most
I enjoy working with my clients, really understanding what they want and need. There isn't a textbook, it is all about connecting with people and then doing the best to serve them and deliver what they need, when they need it.
If I am allowed to name two things, I also genuinely enjoy the people I work with. EY is full of smart and curious people, and every day you learn something new about how to do your job and develop as a professional from the people around you, something unique to the Big 4 in my experience.
What surprised me most
The first couple of years were in line with expectations - what really surprised me is the speed of progression to managing large teams and being a client handler. The job very quickly evolves away from being technical, which is what I thought it would largely be, to really being a people-facing role.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Joe’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Joe a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Joe to be your mentor.