Ibrahim: School leaver over uni

This week our social media has been taken over to promote our school leaver programmes. As part of this, we spoke to Ibrahim to find out why he chose this route instead of going to university and joining us as a graduate.

Since the age of fifteen I have had a strong interest in Accounting and Financial Services. I knew that after completing my A Levels, I wanted my next step to be heavily based around said interests. So, I started to research my next steps – looking at Accounting and Finance courses at universities, as well as apprenticeships in the accounting field.

I compared the benefits and drawbacks of the above and concluded that if I am confident I want to become a Chartered Accountant, I would need a professional qualification, like the ICAEW ACA. I could have gone to university to study accounting and finance, but I would still need to join a graduate program that offered the ACA after.

Also, I would need practical work experience to qualify, which you won’t find studying at university. As a Grant Thornton apprentice, you will gain the work experience you need to develop into a qualified professional, over the course of your apprenticeship.

Student loans don’t exist when you take up a Grant Thornton apprenticeship – if that wasn’t enough, you get to earn and learn at the same time! On top of that, Grant Thornton’s people are some of the most approachable and kind people. From managers to partners, you are bound to forge new, meaningful relationships at Grant Thornton.

Whether you join the London office or the Glasgow office, remember, you are joining a 6th global ranking accounting firm. Considering the above, I wanted to be a part of something bigger and better, so I joined Grant Thornton, and I haven’t looked back since.