No two career journeys look the same. The experiences people bring, the opportunities they’re given and the support they receive all play a part in shaping how they get started.
As we continue our Getting In focus, we’re sharing stories that reflect the different paths people take into Grant Thornton and what helps them find their way. During South Asian Heritage Month, we’re also recognising the perspectives that influence those journeys.
Meet Anjali Patel, Audit Associate, who joined the Firm nearly two years ago. She shares her journey, her early experiences and what helped her take that first step.
Finding a firm built on action, not words
Anjali's path in wasn't a straight line. She studied English and Spanish at university, then moved to Spain during the pandemic to teach. When she came home, she spent a year caring for her grandfather until he passed away, sitting alongside the NHS and local government at one of their hardest moments.
"Having a glimpse of the challenges faced by these sectors first-hand, I was inspired to contribute to making a difference in the NHS and local government."
That's how she found the Value for Money Public Sector Audit Associate role, joining as part of the firm's first cohort of Value for Money graduates and training towards her CIMA qualification alongside the job. Nearly two years on, she's part-qualified, leading client work end to end, and a part-time carer for her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's.
What made her stay wasn't the job description.
Anjali joined Grant Thornton as a Graduate.
"The first thing that stood out for me about the firm was the values. Then during the recruitment process, I came across members of the firm who truly embodied these values. I quickly realised the Grant Thornton was a place where words are not empty, actions do follow."
"What stuck for me was the people. I've met some incredible people from all different backgrounds and grades, from colleagues in my cohort to directors and partners who continue to inspire, challenge and support me every day."
"It's very rewarding working for a firm where everyone's different lived experiences and different perspectives are not just seen and heard, but genuinely valued."
The reason I'm here
Long before Anjali joined, her belief in what's possible was shaped by people who had overcome barriers to create opportunities for future generations.
"My grandparents came to this country alone as young teenagers. A lot of my family were also forced out of their home and country under a dictatorship in East Africa. The way they endured and built lives for themselves, all whilst keeping community and charity at the centre of it, is an inspiration."
Her dad's journey started elsewhere. "My dad moved to England from a small village in India at the age of 11, without a word of English."
"To see how hard he has worked, and how much my parents have sacrificed to give me the opportunities they could only have dreamed of, I feel so lucky. My community is the reason I can be where I am today, and that's something I can never fully repay."
Those experiences have given Anjali a deep appreciation for the importance of widening access and ensuring talented people can see a route into professions that may not have always felt open to them.
It's why she doesn't leave that history at the door.
"I feel a lot of pride working at a firm where showing up as my authentic self, shaped by my community and heritage, is encouraged."
Looking for herself in the room
Before she'd applied to Grant Thornton, Anjali went looking for signs that she could see herself at the firm. As she explored the partners page, seeing someone who shared her heritage gave her a powerful sense of possibility.
"I noticed a female Partner of Indian heritage. Even then, that visibility gave me a sense of self-belief. I stopped hoping I could belong and started believing it."
That self-belief held once she met the team she'd actually be working with.
"Someone once said the team is as diverse as a carriage on the Tube. The Tube isn't just London's transport network, it's the city's family portrait, and I believe the same is true of the team."
From there, self-belief became something to build on. Aspire, the firm's annual belonging event for ethnic minority colleagues, gave it somewhere to go, alongside Talent 24 and being part of the Ethnicity Network.
Meeting people from across the firm, not just in London but nationally and internationally, helped too. So did the support of her own cohort.
"I'm very lucky to have a strong support network in my cohort, where we help and encourage each other."
Being true to herself
For a long time, Anjali saw parts of her identity as things to manage, not share.
"For a long time, I believed that parts of my identity were things to soften, silence or even hide. But it's these very pieces that have shaped my perspective, deepened my empathy and given me a unique voice. What I once thought I had to hide, I now carry with pride."
That shift also changes how she sees her day-to-day work in the Value for Money team.
"In our day-to-day work, you can see in real time that different perspectives don't divide the picture, they bring it into focus, and produce stronger work."
What Getting In means to Anjali
"Getting In to me is not a product, it's the transition from the right to belong into actively belonging. It's an ongoing process of hard work, confidence and authenticity, shaped by lived experience and community. Accessibility and opportunity are inherent and instrumental in giving any individual the opportunity to 'get in'."
Her advice to anyone starting out and unsure whether they'd fit in:
"It's natural to wonder whether you belong. You belong in the room just as much as anyone else. Turn that energy towards learning and staying curious, whilst embracing your authenticity. It could be those very qualities that make you different that make the biggest difference and transform your right to belong into actively belonging."
And why stories like this matter to her, especially now:
"Visibility and representation played a huge part right at the beginning of my career. It instilled confidence in me that I didn't know I needed. Hearing stories like this is invaluable, not just at the beginning of one's career, but throughout."
Everyone's journey into a career is different, but access to opportunity shouldn't be.
If you're exploring your own path, you can find out more about our roles and career opportunities below.
We'll be sharing other stories, highlighting different experiences of Getting In and what helps people take that first step.