Returning with purpose: Mike’s path back to the firm

I originally joined Grant Thornton in 2017 as Tax Manager in the Real Estate Tax team. After being promoted to Senior Manager, I then left for a year to work in industry on a contract basis, and rejoined as a director within the same team. 

Even though I left the firm, I always knew there was high chance I would return after my contract ended. I was honest with my line manager about why I was leaving, and he was always open to discussions about returning. 

There were two main reasons I wanted to return: the variety of work and the team and working environment. 

The diversity of work in Real Estate Tax is unlike anything I’ve experienced elsewhere. We support a wide range of clients, from UK based to global businesses, assisting with their UK real estate operations. Our client base spans funds, institutional investors, high net wealth investors, UK listed property investors and developers.

We spend so much of our time at work, so it’s important to not only enjoy what you work on but who you work with. When I first joined the firm, the team was so welcoming, and people worked together to support each other where needed. Being able to rejoin a team where I knew most of the people and had experience of the systems made the process really smooth.

In a professional services firm, it can be easy to slip into bad habits and not give yourself the opportunity to switch off. The firm does a lot to encourage a healthy work-life balance, including taking time off throughout the year whenever needed. 

To maintain balance, I try to set boundaries between work and life outside of work. Doing things like closing my laptop at the end of the day and keeping it closed on weekends helps me to avoid the temptation to do that one more thing that keeps me tied to my screen. That said, there are times when a particular project or assignment requires more flexibility, but I make sure that’s the exception rather than the norm.  

For me, one of the great things that makes the firm genuinely different is the career development opportunities. At every step, you’re encouraged and supported to develop your career. Everyone has different goals and the managers respect that, so you aren’t pigeon-holed into a particular area or held back from progressing. 

The firm is large enough that you can be involved with complex work, but not so large that you become siloed and removed from the process. For me, that’s what sets the firm apart as such a unique and interesting place to work.