Meet Nosheen
Following a successful 8-week summer internship in 2023, Nosheen joined the NAO as an Audit Associate on the ACA Chartered Accountancy Training Scheme shortly after graduating from King’s College London in BA International Relations. Here they share their experiences and tips with you.
What initially attracted you to the internship and the NAO?
What attracted me to the NAO was its unique role in ensuring value for money and contributing towards the improvement of public services by holding the government to account through its work. The internship provided an opportunity to not only gain skills and experience in financial audit, but to also engage in incredibly impactful work.
What did you learn from the internship, and how did it help you prepare for the graduate scheme?
The internship taught me that regardless of experience or academic background, the key to success is being curious, proactive and having a strong willingness to learn. It felt daunting starting an internship completely unrelated to my degree, but I found that having an open and questioning mind helped me quickly build confidence and really make the most of the internship. The internship prepared me for the graduate scheme in that it has shown me that each new experience is part of the learning process, and that we all start from somewhere.
What’s been your proudest moment or biggest achievement so far?
My proudest moment has been proving to myself that I can thrive outside my comfort zone. If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have been completely intimidated by the thought of working in accountancy or anything finance-related for that matter, however, determination and persistence really does go a long way. I am now just over halfway through my ACA exams a year into the graduate scheme, which is something I would never have imagined possible before starting this journey.
What would be your top three tips for graduates applying for jobs?
- Really push yourself and apply to any job that appeals to you. Don’t let the thought of not meeting the job criteria or having the right set of skills stop you. Graduate schemes are there for your learning and development, there is no expectation that you have years of experience!
- Make the most of the resources available to you. Whether that be attending careers events or online webinars. The opportunities you will come across are endless, and this will also give you the chance to ask any questions or for any tips/advice.
- Reach out to people! Getting in touch with graduates and recruiters on LinkedIn really helped me in preparing for assessment centres, or even just understanding more about what a job entails, and the culture of a company. People are always more than happy to have a quick chat.