Working as an OTM, I had built up good relationships with people from the UK firm and enjoyed working with them, so when the opportunity of a secondment arose, I jumped at the opportunity. My relocation was really smooth as I had friends and colleagues who were really helpful with things like finding accommodation and recommending places to eat, little things like this really made a big difference to my experience relocating.
Working for Grant Thornton UK didn’t feel hugely different to my role back in the Philippines, as I was already working closely with the UK team. I loved being able to meet the people who I had worked with as an OTM, see the faces behind the names on the audit files or review notes, and working in person alongside them really helped me to learn more about the culture of the UK, and the UK firm, as well as their work ethics. I think when working as offshore team members it’s important to understand each other in that way as it helps to build those relationships and helps you all deliver your best work.
One thing I struggled with at first was communication, I felt very shy speaking up in meetings or group chats. I made a conscious effort to spend more time in the office, and the more I visited client sites and worked alongside colleagues in the office the more comfortable I felt and I have grown a lot during this time. I am a lot more open and confident now.
It’s been important for me to keep in touch with my Grant Thornton Philippines colleagues whilst I am here, as I have always known I would be returning so I wanted to still feel connected to the firm. I’ve had regular informal chats, and one of the great things about the UK firm having OTMs is that sometimes I would be on a team with an OTM and we would take the opportunity to catch up about the team back home. I think for anyone going on an outbound secondment, it is important to keep that connection to your ‘home’ firm, as a lot can change during your time away.
Working as part of the UK team has been really interesting, and it’s great to work alongside people I worked with in my OTM role, and meet clients in person. I have definitely grown in confidence during my secondment, and am much more comfortable communicating with clients and also my UK colleagues. When I return home, I hope to be able to use my experiences to help my Philippine colleagues, grow their confidence by sharing my knowledge and the practices I have learnt whilst here.
One thing I would always recommend, to both inbound, and outbound secondees, is embrace the social opportunities, get involved with different opportunities that present themselves as it all helps you grow and develop, both professionally and personally.
I really enjoy working in audit as it’s a practice where there is continuous learning and development, whether that’s through working in different industries or the range of clients we work with. I think one of the things for me that keeps it interesting is keeping up to date with accounting standards and findings from regulators, and collaborating with colleagues to make sure everything is adhered to. It’s a career that can open so many doors, if I hadn’t been working in audit, I wouldn’t have ended up in the UK on secondment!
I find working in audit incredibly rewarding because our work is highly valued. The role offers opportunities for both personal and professional growth, as it involves engaging with various industries and different facets of the audit process. It's fast paced, as clients evolve and adapt to changing audit standards and we strive to consistently deliver high-quality, value-adding audits to our clients.