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James is an assistant manager in Audit, currently on secondment in our Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) team at EY. Discover more about how James’ career has evolved, and how he’s combining his experience in Audit with his passion for sustainability.

University and beyond

James joined EY as a summer intern during his second year of university. After completing his degree, he was offered a role as an Audit graduate in our Bristol office but decided to take a gap year before joining. He’d always wanted to visit Vancouver, and with the support of the EY senior leaders in his new team, secured a four-month internship at EY Canada.

"I was so grateful for the chance to move to Vancouver as it had been on my bucket list for so long. It was great to have that support and encouragement from people in my team right from the offset."

After he returned to Bristol, James spent three years qualifying as a chartered accountant. Six months after he qualified, James' partner relocated to Edinburgh to pursue her PhD. James requested a transfer to the EY Edinburgh office, where he has been based for the last 18 months.

"I appreciated how accommodating EY was with helping me relocate to another office. They recognise the need to balance the job with the needs of the individual - if you’re clear about what you want and deliver great work, you have the ability to shape your own experiences."

Aligning his career with his passions

After moving to Edinburgh, James began exploring opportunities within EY that aligned his work in Audit with his passion for sustainability. He learned about a secondment opportunity in our CCaSS team and, with the support and encouragement of colleagues and senior leaders, was successful in securing the role.

James now works with a variety of different clients on a range of sustainability- and audit-related projects. His work involves everything from examining companies’ greenhouse gas and pollution emissions, their water usage and tree-planting initiatives, to people-focused issues such as diversity, human rights and health and safety.

"Every account I work on is different. One day, I might be auditing the sustainability of a company's cotton production; the next, I might be looking at a different company's greenhouse gas emissions or human-rights related topics. This means I need to become a subject-matter expert in a variety of topics, which is hugely rewarding. I've always wanted to work in something sustainability-related as it aligns with my personal values, so coupling this with my Audit skills has been an amazing experience."

The nature of his work in CCaSS also means James works alongside people from both audit and non-accounting backgrounds, bringing together a diverse mix of people and perspectives - something he really values.

Continued support

When asked what his favourite thing about working at EY is, James is very clear that it is the people and culture that makes EY stand apart.

"I know it might sound cliché, but it's true. People genuinely care about you and your career here; I work alongside diverse and talented colleagues, and I’m constructively pushed and challenged by people to be the very best version of myself. I’ve made a lot of friends working at EY.”

James also values the range of opportunities that come with working at a global firm.

"Your career trajectory doesn't have to be linear. There are paths within EY that can match your interests. There's so much to learn and so many different opportunities to explore. Whatever it is you want to do, you’ll always find the support to help you achieve it”

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