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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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Future Accountant: Nirunthan, Advisory Associate
Nirunthan (Niru) joined the firm as a placement student during his university years. After graduating, he returned to the firm as an advisory associate in the Transactions Advisory Services team – a move that reflects his passion for applying accounting skills in a commercial, project-driven environment. Niru shares his experience as a placement student, including the challenges he overcame and the culture that shaped his development.
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“You are not alone”: Nana Yaw’s mission to normalise conversations about men’s mental health
In a culture where men are often expected to stay silent about their struggles, Nana Yaw is using his voice to challenge stigma, share his experiences, and encourage others to do the same. He’s on a mission to help normalise conversations around wellbeing – especially for men from ethnic minority backgrounds. Here’s his 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 Jo's career.
A journey through changes in tax and technology
The fact that no two days are the same has always kept me engaged with the tax world. I love that tax legislation is ever evolving and there’s always something new to learn.
Apart from a small stint, I’ve spent my whole career at Grant Thornton working in tax. The reason why is simple: the variety of work, our culture, and our people. We spend a lot of our lives at work, so it’s important to enjoy what we do and trust the people we work with.
In the last 25 years, I’ve seen so much change at the firm in how we use technology. When I first started, email was only for internal use, and client liaison was done via letters written out longhand or by speaking into a dictating machine, which a secretary would then type up! It was a massive change when we started using email for client communications, and at the time it felt quite daunting, but it meant we could be much more responsive.
It’s important to be open-minded about digital advances and explore ways they can be used to create more time for the valuable work technology can’t do. Approaching change proactively and positively will make it easier for us to reap the benefits sooner than those who rail against it. I’m loving using Microsoft Copilot for drafting more engaging emails and during the first stage of tax technical research. I feel like I’m only scratching the surface of what AI can do, so I’m excited to see how our use of it evolves over time to enhance our roles.
Approaching change proactively and positively will make it easier for us to reap the benefits sooner than those who rail against it.
Embracing variety and new opportunities
Working on multiple client assignments with different teams each week keeps my work varied and interesting. I love having opportunities to meet people from other service lines and build a strong internal network. I always get a great sense of satisfaction when a client has a challenge and I’m able to connect them with the right person to help.
I was lucky enough to join the first Inclusion Advisory Board when it launched in 2021, and I learnt so much from my role on the IAB. It was a great opportunity to hear from people with different lived experiences and explore how we as a firm can support everyone, while sharing my own views around making our workplace inclusive for quieter, more introverted members of our team, like me.
Our diverse work environment has also influenced my management style. The opportunity to learn from various partners and get involved in people-related projects outside my day-to-day role has helped me develop an effective people management style that feels authentic to me, and gives my team the support they need.
I hold monthly mentoring discussions with the people I manage to make sure they feel empowered in their roles. Engaging in coaching conversations can be incredibly impactful, too – sometimes, simply asking the right questions and providing a space for reflection is all it takes for them to realise they have the answers and skills needed to tackle their challenges.
Lessons learned from a fulfilling career
If I could turn back time 25 years, I would tell myself to focus more on my strengths and stop dwelling on what I wasn’t as good at. When we embrace our strengths, we can have much more fulfilling careers.
I’d also say it’s important to trust your instincts, make your own luck, and never give up. There have been plenty of ‘sliding doors moments’ where my persistence led me to exactly where I wanted to be. For example, I knew I wanted to be a people manager long before I became one – and those opportunities didn’t just come to me by accident. I’d been laying the groundwork by making my ambitions known to key people in the firm for some time.
When you’re passionate about something at Grant Thornton, you’re often met with open doors. However, you still have to be proactive to make it happen. By connecting with the right people, you might not find an opportunity right away – but when the right one does come up, you'll be remembered.