By Luke Peacock (BSc Economics & Finance)
Introduction
Hello all, my name is Luke Peacock, and I am a third year Economics and Finance student who is interested in a career in the field of Accounting and Finance. On the side, I am also a Campus Brand Ambassador for an employer called the National Audit Office (NAO). Today, via this blog, I will be giving a taster over the importance of this role. This necessarily also includes the provision of key information about NAO.
I’ll start with something we rarely do: self-reflect. To summarise the value-added from my experience as an Ambassador, I would say that I can now ‘demonstrate using initiative’. This is a key skill which employers undoubtedly look for, especially in graduate labour markets. Its also integral to my personal development, given it provides me with a means to celebrate my skills-set independent of standard academic criteria. Although studies are of course important and we should never undermine the value of going to University, employers are also looking for extra-curricular ‘stand out from the crowd‘ activities. I achieved my role through a thorough application process, whereby I had to express my interest and fill in an application form, then I had to sit a telephone interview, and then a video interview. This pretty much mirrors the application for graduate schemes, such as NAO’s accountancy scheme, and so it is a confidence boost personally and becomes valuable experience.
What does my role entail?
Within this role I essentially represent NAO on the campus here at UEA, which means that I am taking advantage of many networking opportunities on campus, as well as virtually, and I am trying to spread awareness of who NAO are, their values and employability opportunities available for students who are interested.
From a CV stance, this opportunity means that I can showcase to any future employers that I can use my initiative, manage my time, organise events, confidence, and communication skills. These are all valued by any employer, and the more exposure you have to extra-curricular opportunities, the more likely you are to stand out. As mentioned earlier, the application process for this role was very similar to the application process for graduate schemes and so it is a rare insight. This is also why I wanted to make this blog, in order to explain why roles like this are great, both personally and as an extra-curricular activity.
Specific to my role, I am given Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that I am required to meet, in order to ensure that my actions are in line with NAO’s values. This includes reaching out to students from minority groups and improving diversity and social mobility in NAO’s workforce.
Some background information about NAO
NAO, or the National Audit Office, is the UK’s independent public spending watchdog, they are funded by Parliament, and they perform audits on 400-450 accounts of public sector organisations for Parliament. They are independent of Government and Civil Service, and they scrutinise public spending in order to ensure that the taxpayer’s money is well spend and adds value. As well as this, the NAO also examines and reports on the value for money of how public money has been spent. The trainee/graduate roles last for 3 years.
Opportunities at NAO
NAO have a vast range of opportunities available, including internships and graduate roles. These are as follows: apprentice/school leaver, summer internship, data science internship, analyst, access accountancy work experience and the NAO graduate accountancy scheme.
The NAO graduate accountancy scheme is appealing as you will work towards the ACA qualification, and within 3 years you will become qualified and progress from trainee to Audit Principal. The graduate salary is £29,978 in London, or £24,019 in Newcastle and this incrementally increases until you progress to Audit Principal, where the salary increases to an impressive £50,000.
What skills are NAO looking for?
There are a range of skills required for NAO, including: data analysis, sound judgement, effective communication, enthusiasm, teamwork, client relationships, working to deadlines and to understand the big picture. These are the typical skills that accountancy firms are looking for, but the differentiating factor for the NAO is the job security of working alongside the Government and the investment that the NAO has in its people. This is shown through the funding of the ACA qualification, an impressive salary, a very generous pension (the civil service pension) and 25 weeks of paid study leave throughout your 3 years of training.
If you think you are interested in applying, please check the NAO website. Also, if you have any questions about the graduate role, don’t hesitate in contacting me through my University email (agj19kwu@uea.ac.uk)