Saira Mehdi discusses her experience of Grant Thornton’s graduate programme and how it helped her transition ‘seamlessly’ into the workforce.
During Saira Mehdi’s time at the National College of Ireland undertaking a business degree, she was confident that she really wanted to work in the financial services industry.
While researching graduate programmes, her interest was piqued by professional services company Grant Thornton. Now, Mehdi works as a consultant in the prudential risk and insurance team at Grant Thornton’s Dublin office, and is currently studying for to become a qualified financial advisor.
When she started her current role, she wasn’t sure about what she wanted to do. However, over time and through guidance and support, she started to feel that the prudential risk team was the right fit for her.
“Personally, I believe that rarely anyone really knows what he or she wants when they are fresh out of college. You may believe you know what you want, but I feel like it changes as you acquire experience.
“Choosing a career in professional services ensured I didn’t have to limit myself, as it provides me with diversity in client work and projects, and stretches me out of my comfort zone, in a positive way.”
‘Communication and professional networking are such a key asset for anyone’s career journey’
Can you describe a typical day in your role?
My day-to-day duties as a consultant vary. Projects and clients are always changing. Working in prudential risk, I work closely with my team to onboard new client engagements, such as submitting AML [anti-money laundering] checks or preparing proposals. My day can also consist of several meetings, such as client project workshops and internal team check-ins.
It is fair to say I am constantly learning at Grant Thornton. There are several new concepts that I have not previously encountered, and this fosters the idea that learning doesn’t just stop after college. It’s constant, especially in the field of prudential risk and regulatory governance.
Did your responsibilities and workload change as the programme progressed?
There is a sense of mutual respect and talking to senior members of staff such as directors or partners is encouraged. Everyone’s experience is varied and contributes to the overall team, and this collaborative environment is particularly appealing.
We all work together to complete the assignment at hand. I appreciate that I was given significant work and was entrusted with responsibility, which signalled to me that I was valued in the team.
As I have been promoted to a consultant 2 and as my experience progresses, I can see that my workload is expanding to more substantial pieces of work. Although I am in the wider prudential risk team, I have had the opportunity to work within other areas divisions of this team, such as banking and insurance. As I progressed, I began to work with additional clients and was fortunate enough to go through a full secondment with one of our clients working in their offices.
‘Always be open to learning more, say yes to everything and try new things’
How do you think this programme has made you more prepared for working life?
Being in the Grant Thornton graduate programme made the transition from being a full-time college student into the workforce a seamless, less daunting transition.
Grant Thornton provides initial and continuous training, from both a workforce-based mentality and field-specific. From a practical side, the initial training helped in brushing up on skills such as time management, Excel, communication and team-building to name a few.
Communication and professional networking are such a key asset for anyone’s career journey, and interacting with peers, mentors and industry professionals has given me so much invaluable advice and knowledge that I will carry throughout my working life.
I have learned the importance of self-management and accountability in terms of taking initiative and asking questions and understanding on an interpersonal level how I want to achieve my own goals. Maintaining a balance in work and life is key to avoiding burnout and staying motivated in work.
I also found that the skills you learned in college are more important than the actual theory and information. Using these skills such as problem-solving, time management and teamwork is essential to a successful career.
Would you recommend the graduate programme at this company to others?
Without a doubt, I would recommend the Grant Thornton graduate programme to anyone looking to build a career in the financial services sector. Grant Thornton is constantly growing, and being part of an expanding team brings so many opportunities for career growth.
If you are not certain about what you want to do with your degree but want to use skills you have gained during college, in my opinion, Grant Thornton is the perfect place to transition to after college. From the initial induction day, like-minded people of similar disciplines and experiences surround you, and it feels like an extension or continuation of college.
Is there any advice you’d like to give to future graduates who are just starting out?
My main piece of advice would be to always be open to learning more, say yes to everything and try new things. If something scares you, it usually means you need to get out of your comfort zone and try it.
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