Graduate
London
University of Nottingham
@GT_Sajni

I did an internship at Grant Thornton and I am now a graduate trainee. When I started at the beginning of last year, I did two courses at Grant Thornton’s training centre, which was a great experience. You can go there, take some time out as well as do your training, and get to know everyone. I’ve made a lot of great friends here. Everyone works really hard to get things done on time, but in general the work-life balance here is good.

I was given responsibility early on, which was really important for my development, and I now deal with clients on my own on site, obviously overseen by a senior manager. I've worked on lots of different clients – because of that I have touched upon so many different sectors and my knowledge has developed a lot. I haven’t really faced anything where I’ve thought, ‘I don’t think I can do that’, although the ACA exams are quite tough, and there’s quite a lot of travelling involved.

I think Grant Thornton looks for well-rounded people. It’s a real ‘people firm’, and a client-facing business so it’s important to be able to speak to clients and interact with the team. And they really do appreciate their employees. I was on holiday recently and got my exam results and my manager text me to congratulate me. It’s the little things like that really count. I know all the Partners in my area personally and they’re very open to listening. If I want to work on something I ask. I remember going through the list of clients when I arrived and liked the look of a couple. I spoke to my senior manager and they made it happen. At the moment I'm new to it all – but I am still being heard.

Q: What's the best bit of advice you've received?
A: Work hard & play hard.

Q: What's the best bit of advice you've received while working at Grant Thornton?
A: If you don't ask then you will never know! It is always best to ask about opportunities available and try and take the initiative to drive your career. Everyone at Grant Thornton is there to listen and try their best to accommodate your requests.

Q: What is the best bit of advice you have given a client while working at Grant Thornton?
A: I introduced one of my clients to the world of the instant messaging on his mobile. He is now absolutely hooked to his phone.

Q: What is the best bit of advice you would give someone looking to join Grant Thornton?
A: Best bit of advice would be to research Grant Thornton well and find out about the vast array of opportunities that we have to offer to ensure that you join the right department. There is a general misconception that an accountancy degree is needed/preferred for the ACA, I can confirm that this is not the case as there are plenty of graduates who do not have an accountancy background and have gone on to complete the ACA and do very well! We have a great working culture here with a wide range of people from varying backgrounds so it is important to be yourself at the interview and be confident!