As students across the islands received their A-levels and are looking to take the first steps in their careers, they are increasingly looking for opportunities to start their career within the island, as local research carried out by professional services firm EY has revealed.
To understand the thoughts of local students in the build-up to receiving their A-level results, EY surveyed their Channel Islands followers, who are school leavers and university graduates, on their Instagram account (EYCICareers). They discovered that 77% of students surveyed were currently pursuing their career in the Channel Islands, while 38% of students surveyed said they required more information about career opportunities.
Irma Pretorius, EY’s Head of Talent in the Channel Islands, highlights the trainee opportunities EY currently have available and explains how a career in financial services can provide much needed stability and security for anyone looking to start their career: “There has never been a better time to join the financial services industry. Throughout the pandemic, we have been in a fortunate position to weather the storm well due to the technology being in place to work remotely without too much disruption. As a result, EY is continuing to build the business and we are looking for motivated individuals who want to take that next step in their career by joining our growing teams and beginning studying for a professional qualification.
“People often think you need to have studied finance related subjects to work within the finance industry, but this is not the case at EY. We strongly advocate bringing yourself, not just your subject, to the workplace. We look beyond what you’ve studied and focus on what you can bring to the team through your skills, values, and life experiences. By bringing together people with different academic backgrounds, we are able to create teams with different perspectives, who can continuously learn from each other and ultimately offer the best possible service to our clients.”
While it’s been a year of uncertainty for many, 92% of students surveyed indicated that they were not nervous about making decisions about their futures. This, coupled with the high percentage of students looking at career opportunities in the Channel Islands, is positive news for the islands as they look at attracting and retaining local talent.
Irma highlights how starting your career in the Channel Islands can give you the platform to build towards your career ambitions: “Starting your career at EY can open the door to endless possibilities for personal growth, both on and off the island. Once fully qualified, you can explore our global network to gain further knowledge and
experience through our global secondment programmes. A number of our current senior management team have taken advantage of our secondment opportunities over the years, ranging from six month placements in London through to working in Sydney for two years, before returning to the island with additional skills, broader business knowledge and new perspectives, to help them continue to grow in their careers.”
To find out more information about the positions available at EY, or to apply for a trainee position, contact Noush Horgan ([email protected]) or view the full job spec here.
