‘I would definitely recommend applying for a summer internship’

Tell us about yourself, where you’re from and what you studied in college

I’m a second-year associate from Dublin and I studied commerce in University College Dublin (UCD) from where I joined KPMG’s tax department.

What attracted you to the graduate programme?

The opportunity to become both a chartered accountant and to gain a professional tax qualification within my training contract attracted me to the tax consulting graduate programme.

As part of my degree, I completed a nine-month work placement with KPMG and got a great opportunity to see first-hand the range of multinational clients that the firm works with. In particular, I was exposed to the increasing importance that tax has on transactions and business decision-making.

What was the graduate programme like?

It was really motivating as it combines training and on-the-job learning. From day one you’re involved in transactions which can range from advising the world’s biggest aircraft lessors on significant leasing transactions, to projects such as advising a company on how to structure an upcoming merger or reorganisation.

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There’s also a great social element to the graduate programme as you’re joining an organisation with college graduates from all over Ireland. As part of the social committee, I helped to organise the summer events, the Christmas party and quizzes which are a great way to get to know everyone.

How important is mentorship to you?

Mentorship is valuable and a great way of learning more about the market and the wider environment, as well as tips to help you find your feet.

When I joined, I was given both a buddy and a performance manager who were both happy to share their knowledge and experience and help me to navigate my new role. As I’m progressing through the graduate programme, I’ve been assigned my own buddies and have been able to pass on these tips to them.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

As I’m still early in my career, it is hard to call now, but I’m lucky that I’ll have both the professional accountancy and tax qualifications completed by then and that opens up a lot of opportunities both in Ireland and internationally.

My role in tax is often international in nature and exposes me to the tax laws in every major economy. This has given me the opportunity to work with international clients in industries such as aircraft leasing, banking, insurance and private funds, so I’d be interested in developing my international experience in these sectors.

What’s your advice to graduates applying to the programme?

I’d definitely recommend applying for a summer internship in the area you’re interested in as it gives you a great insight into the graduate programme and the work you’d be doing on a daily basis. I’d also make sure to keep note of the graduate programme application dates and to work on your application well in advance of the deadline, as this will allow you some time to draft up and review the application as you go.