Harriet: a UHY homegrown hero
Harriet joined UHY in 2011 as a trainee accountant and is now a partner in our 60 strong London audit department. As a key member of our London leadership team, and someone who was unsure where to start their career after university, we asked Harriet to share her career story with us.
I had no idea what I wanted to do when I finished my degree in English language and literature. A friend recommended studying towards a professional qualification, as she was studying for her chartered accountancy exams, and said it would give me time to work out what I wanted to do whilst providing a good fall back if I couldn’t decide.
I applied to numerous graduate schemes and, after some work experience in a small accountancy practice in Baker Street, I was introduced to a partner at UHY Hacker Young, which led to my first interview. I researched ‘what is an audit’ before the interview and managed to get into the graduate intake for November 2011. And here I am now!
UHY is a great place to work. One of the key differences at UHY to many of the larger firms is how much responsibility I was given from the outset. I had no knowledge of accounting or auditing before starting here and the training and support I have had over the years has meant I have been able to progress to the position I am in today.
The firm’s purpose is ‘helping you prosper’ and that was genuinely evident from the start. I was trained to be a business adviser, not just an auditor, attending meetings and working directly with clients early on. The partners are all very supportive and encouraged my career progression throughout. I have progressed quite quickly after qualifying, from an audit trainee to partner with a couple of career breaks for maternity leave thrown in.
My favourite part of my job is working with people. I really enjoy working with clients, building a relationship with them founded on UHY’s goal of helping them prosper, as well as working with our trainees and helping them develop their careers at the firm.
UHY values encourage a focus on quality whilst living empathy, which I feel have been key to my progression. I take pride in my work and our team, and encourage others to commit fully to enable us to deliver above and beyond.
Last words of advice
If I was going to provide any advice to my younger self, it would be not to be afraid to move out of your comfort zone, take a risk and push yourself to try new things. I’ve been supported to challenge myself throughout my career at UHY and would say there is never a ‘wrong decision’, just a learning curve.