Grace Lidgett

Age: 23

Uni attended: The University of Nottingham

Course undertaken: Politics and International Relations

What did you want to be when you were 8? A Vet

Favourite way to relax? One of my favourite ways to relax is to go on holiday. I also enjoy watching films, and going home to spend time with my family. I really like taking photos, so I take every opportunity to go on nice walks.

Favourite place to eat in Jersey? I am still relatively new to Jersey and I feel like I have a lot of restaurants to try. However, Banjos or the Tenby for dinner and El Tico for brunch.

What’s your favourite possession? My watch is my most cherished possession. My parents gave it to me for my 21st birthday, so it is very sentimental.

What made you choose the company you work for?

EY is a prominent global firm and one of the Big 4. Their main focus is on the people who work for them, which is something that is very important to me. I applied for the CI Summer Internship whilst in my final year of University to get some experience of working in assurance. It was really insightful and helped me learn more about EY’s values and culture.

What sort of professional training do you take?

I am currently in my first year of three, training to become a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland (ICAS). It is broken down into blocks of studying at college for a few months at a time, with exams at the end of each block. So far I have completed my first 5 exams.

What do you do on an average day?

I would say that every day at work is different, which I find valuable. I feel like I am constantly learning and developing, especially being able to work in teams. I am assisting in providing reasonable assurance on financial statements. There are a vast range of projects that you can be involved in at EY. Some require visiting clients’ offices, which gives me the opportunity to speak to different people at different levels.

What is your next step?

For now, my main aim is to become qualified and gain greater experience as an auditor. As I am originally from the UK, it has been enjoyable moving to Jersey to start studying with the other new associates in my year. There has been a lot of support, which I am grateful for, as moving away can be daunting. I only joined EY in October 2017 and it’s been a very busy few months. I can’t believe how quick time has gone so far.

What advice would you give yourself as a graduate considering the experience you have now?

I would advise graduates to focus on taking opportunities, gaining as much experience as possible and to ensure they follow a career path they are interested in. For me the CI Summer Internship was a very valuable month, so I would recommend it to any undergraduate in a similar position.  I gained greater understanding of both working in the assurance and tax teams. It also gave me a good grounding for what followed at EY as an Assurance Associate.