It’s the help along the way that makes the difference

“Once I mastered the basics, though, I got up to speed pretty quickly, and after three years, I qualified with a Level 8 in Accounting. I finished my studies in May of 2018, and within a week or two I was straight into it at ifac, as part of their Graduate Programme. Now with seven years under her belt at ifac, Lorraine is well placed to discuss the level of support she received in the organisation as a young graduate.

“ I got three weeks intensive training at Kilkenny Head Office, before taking up my duties, which meant that I was familiar with all the software and internal processes that would be part of my job.

Three years later, I had my full professional qualification and was at a later stage given the chance to mentor a new graduate, who has just recently qualified. It was rewarding to support someone the way I had been supported. With the encouragement of the firm, I pursued further education, gaining a qualification in financial advice and a diploma in performance management, which helped in my mentoring role. I also had the opportunity to be part of a two-year development and strategy group with other young professionals, allowing me to build connections across the country.

More recently, I’ve supported collaboration between our national tax department and our local office, which has broadened my experience even further. In May of this year, I took up a new position as Management Accountant in our Food & Agribusiness Division.”

“I think the company succeeds when all of its people succeed, so it’s in everybody’s interest to get behind our grads and develop the next generation of talent in ifac. When I came on board there were twelve grads in all, but this year it’s up to thirty. ifac have recently appointed a dedicated Grad Manager, reflecting the importance the company attaches to nurturing its young talent. I think that says it all, really.”