Still learning in lockdown…
After completing my A-Levels I left school for the big wide world with a total lack of clarity in what I wanted to pursue. Looking back my ambition was to secure a job that included some form of further education and accountancy seemed like a pretty sensible career path.
I spent the summer frantically applying for entry level positions; and quite frankly getting nowhere…then I finally landed an interview at a mid-tier accountancy firm in London.
The initial stage was a group interview with roughly 10 candidates; I remember that day like it was yesterday. I turned up both excited and nervous and quickly discovered that I was the only one who did not have a degree. My choice for not going to university is a different matter… but its safe to say that did not fill me with a whole lot of confidence. I left feeling deflated with little optimism.
Much to my astonishment I ended up getting the job, and I started as a Personal Tax Trainee. I must admit it was never my intention to work in tax, but I was ecstatic to finally get my foot in the door somewhere. The role included study support for the ATT exams, so I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
After successfully completing the ATT exams… I was at another crossroads yet again. Should I carry on in tax and attempt the chartered CTA exams? Or perhaps now with 4 years’ work experience I might be able to achieve my initial objective and move into a pure accountancy role.
That’s when I discovered Corporate Finance…
Much like how I fell into tax… the same thing happened to me with corporate finance. At the time I was considering my options, a client approached me with an opportunity to work at his boutique firm. Back then I had little knowledge of what corporate finance entailed so it felt like a bit of a leap of faith, but nonetheless I took it and I have never looked back!
After moving into corporate finance, I quickly realised that I had a lot to learn. Although my new role included study support for the CFA exams, learning on the job proved to be vital. It seemed daunting a first, but corporate finance is more than just having the technical knowledge. Its learning how to get on with people, pacify situations and sometimes just a be a shoulder for clients to cry on. Learning how best to structure a transaction is not something that can be taught from a textbook…it comes only with experience.
I still have loads to learn and I am enjoying the challenge… no transaction is the same and you never know what is going to get thrown at you!
I have only been with Forward Corporate Finance for 6 months now, but I have already worked on a wide variety of projects – including MBO’s, private equity, a bank refinance and have carried out extensive buyer and target research.
Although while writing this we are in lockdown and things have inevitably slowed down on the transaction front… we are still working with and helping our clients to navigate this period. On the flipside it has been great to be able to see some of our clients really contributing to the effort, whether its making masks, or fever cameras or other equipment for the Nightingale hospitals.
There has been some silver lining to this lockdown after all… and with a little extra time on my hands Sarah and Rob have encouraged me to pick up my formal learning once again. I have registered to take the Corporate Finance diploma in September and studying has been helping keep my mind occupied.
I get the feeling that I will always be learning in a career in corporate finance… even in lockdown!
Amie Goodlad