Rising Star: Rachel Maguire, Assurance, EY

Degree Neuroscience (TCD)
Job title Assurance
Employer EY

Education & career choice

I studied science in Trinity College before specialising in neuroscience. Upon finishing my degree I realised that
science wasn’t for me and that I wanted to try something different. I had a number of friends who had studied accounting so I explored that as a possible option. I found the EY graduate programme kept coming up throughout my search so I decided to apply. The appeal of a graduate programme for me was that I got the opportunity to start working but I could also train and learn further at the same time. I went for the interview for the EY graduate programme and got accepted to start in September of that year. This was great news for but what really helped me is that I was given the opportunity to do an internship before I joined the graduate programme to see what my new position would be like. I really liked that the company recruit from different backgrounds.

Working life & advice

One of my greatest professional achievements to date has been passing my CAP2 exams and just increasing my general knowledge of Accounting and Finance. Some of the key skills I feel that I have brought to EY are traits which translated from my science background to my new Accounting career. Analytical skills are very important in any science position and even more so in a position in Accounting. When I think about all the skills I’ve learned and developed since joining EY, the list is endless; things like using excel, finance knowledge and general business acumen are skills which I never would have had to use before but have learned a lot about here.
If I was to give one piece of advice to anyone finishing college and entering the job market for the first time, I would say if you are not sure what to do next keep your mind open to the possibilities presented by a graduate programme like the one which organisations like EY offer. It gives you a taste of the working world and helps you to learn and develop even further.

Rachel Maguire was interviewed for the gradireland Finance sector guide 2015