Joining ifac helped me find my direction

Kick-starting my career

I have always had an interest in business and figures which drew me to accountancy. Having grown up on my family’s Dairy farm in Kilkenny, ifac was a clear choice for me as it allowed me to combine my loves for business and farming.

A lot of my interests and hobbies are associated with farming, so I never thought I’d be in an office-based role, but I’m a year in and I’m loving it.

Opportunity around every corner

As part of the Farm Support team, I’m based in ifac’s Kilkenny office, which is actually where the 4-week graduate induction training is based. The initial 4-week training was really good because you’re not facing into day one in the office trying to learn all the basics – you have some confidence stepping into the office for the first time.

The induction also introduces you to all the other graduates. Even though you may end up in different offices, you have those contacts to reach out to for help, whether with work or exams as you progress through the three years. After the first 4 weeks, you still have constant support around you, and you’re brought up along through the stages as you progress. It’s reassuring to get trained in everything as you go and not just be left to go and figure things out for yourself.

Every door is open

A great benefit of working with ifac is that you have the opportunity to dip into different areas. If you have an interest, they support you in looking into it further. For me, seeing the graduates in the years ahead of me progress into different areas if they prefer, it’s nice to see that side of it, too.

All staff are encouraged to attend briefings, for tax, financial planning – whatever is going on. There are so many different branches, with one company you can get a feel for different things - even if you don’t go down that route. It’s nice being informed about them and having that knowledge and being kept up to date all the time.