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Future Accountants: Kerry’s journey into audit through apprenticeship
Choosing to take the alternative route into accountancy, Kerry started her career through an apprenticeship rather than university. Here, she shares how she’s building a rewarding career in audit – and why being curious, authentic, and supported makes all the difference.
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Future Accountants: Dan’s journey from English literature to Indirect Tax
From literature to ledgers, Dan Barber’s journey into Indirect Tax proves that the path to becoming a future accountant doesn’t have to be traditional. Now two years into his graduate programme, Dan shares how curiosity, support, and a love of problem-solving helped him thrive in a new field.
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Future Accountants: Julia’s journey from economics graduate to Tax Associate
Supported by a culture of encouragement and hands-on learning, Julia’s journey from economics student to Tax Associate began with a four-week internship that shaped her career path. In her own words, she shares how discovering her strengths, gaining real responsibility, and growing through feedback have helped her thrive in Financial Services Tax.
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Starting at the firm: How Emily balances audit, exams, and international hockey
Emily Dark, one of our Audit Associates, reflects on her first two years at Grant Thornton — from studying for her ICAS exams to representing Scotland in international hockey. She shares how the firm’s culture empowered her to thrive both professionally and personally, offering insights to help future trainees feel confident as they begin their careers and explore the opportunities ahead.
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Future Accountants: Yad’s journey from BTEC to Audit Associate
Yad’s path into audit began with a BTEC in Business and a job as a line chef, experiences that sparked his interest in teamwork, problem-solving, and learning by doing. Now an apprentice at Grant Thornton, he reflects on how feedback, support, and a collaborative culture have helped him grow into a professional member of the audit team.
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Future Accountants: Maria’s path from audit intern to Advisory Associate
Maria’s journey has been shaped by curiosity and continuous growth. In her own words, she shares how moving from Dubai to London opened the door to a career in accountancy, how her internship helped her find her fit in advisory, and why feedback, mentorship, and real responsibility have helped her thrive.
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Kevin's story
Everyone at Grant Thornton benefits from private medical insurance, and Kevin experienced its value first-hand. Here he talks about when his life changed dramatically in 2022, and how the support of those around him have allowed him to continue excelling in a role he loves.
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Future Accountants: Alex’s pivot from biomedical science graduate to audit trainee
Driven by curiosity and an appetite for variety, Alex’s journey from biomedical science graduate to audit trainee has been shaped by hands-on experience, a supportive culture, and a commitment to continuous learning. In her own words, she shares how embracing new challenges, building confidence through feedback, and living the firm’s values have helped her grow.
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Returning with purpose: Mike’s path back to the firm
Mike talks to us about rejoining Grant Thornton, his drivers for returning to the firm, and setting the right boundaries to achieve the right work-life balance.
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Empowered to progress: Oliver’s data-driven trainee experience
With a degree in modern languages, Oliver took an alternative route into professional services. Now working in transaction services, he shares how the firm has empowered him to grow, explore new areas of interest, and make a meaningful impact – even as a trainee.
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Back with balance: How Hadia found her rhythm after maternity leave
Returning to work after maternity leave can be daunting – but for Hadia, Accounting Advisory Manager in CFO Solutions, it became a story of support, development, and reconnection. She shares how the firm’s culture and policies have helped her find her rhythm and continue growing after entering the world of motherhood.
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Meaningful work and real connection: Lola’s first eight months in Real Estate Tax
Lola joined Grant Thornton as a member of the Real Estate Tax team. Originally from Nigeria, she brings a global perspective, a passion for meaningful work, and a deep appreciation for community – both inside and outside the firm. In just eight months, she’s already made an impact, not only through her work but also by helping others find their place at the firm. Here’s her story.
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Portraits of Power
Portraits of Power
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Top 10 career tips
Everyone benefits from a little advice, especially when they’re starting out. So, we've put together our top 10 tips to help you ace your applications and kick start your career in the best possible way.
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Ignite work experience
Are you ready to take the first step towards an exciting career in Accountancy? Our Grant Thornton Ignite Work Experience Programme is designed to give you a real taste of life at our firm.
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Interns and placements
Summer internships and 12-month placement programmes give you a fantastic opportunity to find out more about careers in professional services, and they can set you on a fast track through to an offer for your graduate programme.
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Graduate programmes
Our three-year graduate programme will take you from graduate to professionally qualified, opening up a world of opportunity.
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Apprenticeships
For anyone with A-Level (or equivalent) qualifications, an apprenticeship helps fast track you to qualification whilst you earn, and if you join straight after A-Levels, you can qualify ahead of your peers who go to university.
A visual timeline of Diana's career.
Taking a leap from banking to ethics
My career journey so far is shaped by my passion for psychology, a field that sparks curiosity about all aspects of life and the human experience. It all starts with an unanswered question that piques my interest. From there, I dive into forming theories and experiments to test them, all with the goal of collecting and interpreting data to understand and solve problems. I’ve always found myself drawn to roles that allow me to explore and investigate in this way.
After spending a few years working in banking, I was excited to get back into a research-focused role in insolvency when I initially joined the firm. I enjoyed my role as a researcher but after three years, I felt like it was time for a new, more varied challenge that would allow me to explore ‘the unknown’.
I spoke to my manager at the time about how I felt and she suggested I look for a secondment. The role in Corporate Independence in the ethics team appealed to me because it offered a variety of new learning opportunities, including research and an element of compliance and risk, which I’d enjoyed during my banking days. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for me, and when I was offered a permanent role, my manager supported me and the ethics team helped with my transition.
Skills shaped by curiosity
The skills I’ve honed through my studies in psychology and experiences in the insolvency sector have been incredibly valuable in my current role in the ethics team. I pride myself on having an eye for detail and strong analytical skills, which help me navigate complex information and uncover insights.
I thrive under pressure and love a good challenge, which has taught me to be tenacious and adaptable, ready to tackle various tasks that come my way. Most importantly, I approach my day-to-day responsibilities with a calm, focused, and methodical mindset, so I can stay grounded and effective, no matter what the day throws at me.
I pride myself on having an eye for detail and strong analytical skills, which help me navigate complex information and uncover insights.
The role of ethics at Grant Thornton
In Ethics, our main goal is to protect the firm while helping teams make the right independence judgements at the right time. We help with any queries related to the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) Ethical Standard and other codes of ethics, such as Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA).
We support the service teams to be compliant with the overarching principles of the FRC Ethical Standard (integrity, objectivity and independence) to ensure high operating standards and enhance the credibility of financial reporting.
In my role, I specifically assess how self-interest might affect auditor independence. Essentially, I help to make sure that the audit opinions given by our firm are seen as fair and based on professional judgement, not influenced by financial interests. My work is important for maintaining the objectivity and integrity of the audit opinions we provide to those who rely on the financial statements. I get a lot of satisfaction in knowing that I’m playing a part in keeping our ethical standards high.
Whenever I'm in the office, I like to take a moment to introduce myself to those around me and share a little about what we do in the team. It’s a simple gesture, but it’s so important to humanise our role, so people see us as approachable and supportive. My hope is that these interactions show our commitment to being here for everyone and that we genuinely want to help in making informed decisions.