My main role involves delivering lectures and seminars to students at university, from year one to master’s level. I interact with professionals around the world on a daily basis, promoting student engagement and sharing my experience to help others.
The pandemic has changed my working life, as the university environment was placed online, along with all other commitments, from meetings to events. Not having the visual engagement has created challenges, but on the flip side, adapting to new technology and techniques has led to opportunities in new teaching methods, which I will continue to use in the future. Meeting and integrating new colleagues into our team has been a challenge too, but organised online events and informal video calls have helped new staff settle in.
Taking difficult concepts, explaining them in a different manner, plus seeing people develop, gave me a buzz, and still does
During the pandemic, new opportunities have opened up. For example, I have become the chair of the ACCA UK student advisory board and set up a YouTube channel to support accountants around the world, collaborating on a variety of projects with professionals in my network.
When I worked in practice, I helped to train new staff with understanding accounting concepts, software, and how the business provided value to clients. Helping people learn is really fulfilling. Taking difficult concepts, breaking them down and explaining the issue in a different manner, plus seeing people develop, gave me a buzz, and still does. It’s these people, technical and soft skills I developed that really help my teaching style to this day.
My advice for any young accountant starting out now would be to gain as much experience and exposure as possible. This could involve anything from finding a role, doing an internship or volunteering, to attending a webinar to gain insights and understanding of a sector. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail: reach out, ask questions, learn and move forward.
The ACCA Qualification has given me the platform and confidence to progress in my career. It opened up many doors and opportunities for me to collaborate with professionals around the world that I would have never believed when I first began studying. As a result, I now give ACCA and accountancy students around the world help on how to pass exams, offering support on platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. My biggest achievements have been the award of highly commended Teacher of the Year at the University of Lincoln 2018, and PQ Magazine’s Public Sector Lecturer of the Year 2020.
I’m a big advocate of self-development, so I exercise, read, and prioritise health and mindset along with making time for friends and family. Having this balance is key to challenging myself to develop further, to be grateful and appreciate how fortunate I am, and to focus on my goals.
