Orlagh Guarnori - Financial Analyst
Orlagh Guarnori is a financial analyst for a large European reinsurance firm.
What advice would you give to people who have just passed their final accountancy exams?
1. Try to identify the subjects you found most appealing to study, as this might help you to choose an accountancy stream that best suits you, for example audit is not something everyone enjoys or has a natural ability for.
2. If there's an area that interests you, try to talk people currently working in that field; it may be that what you think the job is all about and what it actually entails are completely different things. 3. Attend the accountancy update evenings; these offer an ideal opportunity to talk to other accountants and find out what their jobs entail - this might help you to decide what you would like to do.
Why did you make the career decisions you did once you became newly qualified?
I was working for a reinsurance company at the time, reporting directly to the Finance Director and the MD. The Finance Director was based in the parent company, in a different country. The absence of a resident FD resulted in me working a great deal on my own initiative and becoming more exposed to the bigger picture rather than just the number crunching. I was very lucky that both the MD and FD were approachable and willing to provide one off projects for me to work on, as well as the day-to-day accounting role; this gave me a greater exposure to issues and a better understanding of project management. I was then promoted to Unit Controller for reinsurance.
What does your current role entail?
My current title is Financial Analyst. The role is a varied one but the main element is analysis of data, before it is used as the basis with which to value the business.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
It's a more varied and challenging role with differing responsibilities and exposure to new elements of business reporting and analysis.
What skills and strengths do you think you needed to make the move from practice into your current role?
Practice, from my experience, is more structured with the training and career progression more defined. Outside of practice, roles are more blurred so the ability to be flexible is a great advantage.