Making the transition from university to a job at Page Kirk
Martin joined our graduate scheme in September and he's already recommending the experience to our next group of prospective recruits.
Almost three months ago I made the leap from university life to working here at Page Kirk.
I am currently on a three-year Chartered accountancy graduate scheme, during which I study for the ACA qualification alongside my day-to-day work.
Having graduated from university with a degree in Natural Sciences, transitioning to the world of accounting has been a challenge. These first couple of months have flown by! What with college, getting to know people and trying to work out what all these new technical words mean, I am certainly filling my days. Having to learn on the job, while also studying for my exams, is difficult, but something that university has prepared me for very well.
The support from other ACA students and the more senior members of staff make everything much easier, helping me to improve day to day. Being given opportunities to work on numerous areas of accounting allows me to gain an insight into parts of the job I wouldn't be able to see just at college. It's enabled me to learn so much in the short time I've been working here and has hugely helped me in my exams.
Looking back to the time before I joined Page Kirk, I realise how incredibly important it is to make use of all the resources available to you when considering a career path. There are a multitude of options around you (even if they aren't immediately obvious). The careers services are often under-used, but are an invaluable tool in making your applications the best they can be. Alongside this, and arguably more importantly, careers teams are well versed in providing advice on career avenues that you may have not even thought of yet, but which play to your strengths and interests.
Universities also often provide careers fairs, allowing you to meet multiple different employers and consider a variety of career options, all in one place. These fairs also give you an opportunity to learn more about paths that interest you. I applied to Page Kirk after meeting representatives at a finance careers fair set up by my university, allowing me to learn more about what accounting is. And I discovered that it wasn't at all what I thought it was!
Overall, my transition from university to working at Page Kirk has been educational and enjoyable. I am thoroughly enjoying my role here and can't recommend applying to the graduate scheme enough!
Our applications for the scheme and for placements are open now for the September 2020 intake! Find out more information and how to apply here.