Newly promoted Senior Executive, Scott, provides insight into his journey so far at EY, and shares his advice for those school leavers exploring alternatives to university. Scott joined EY in Corporate Finance straight from school in 2006.

What were your initial motivations to pursue an alternative to university?

While studying for my A-levels at school, I was never sure that university was the right option for me. I was interested in finding a job that would allow me to start a career, as it was very important to me that I found something that allowed me to see how I could progress and where I could be in the future. It was also a great motivation to start earning my own money rather than worry about student loans and the expense of university. As soon as I saw the opportunity within the Restructuring department at EY and met the team at their head office, it was clear that EY would invest in me to develop my skills as well as support me through a professional qualification.

Have there been any career milestones on your journey as a business trainee in Restructuring?

I joined the Restructuring team as a Business Trainee in November 2006, and was subsequently promoted to Assistant Executive grade in October 2008. Following successfully passing my final professional exams, I became a qualified accountant with the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) in June 2010. Following this success, I was promoted to Executive grade in October 2010, and I've just received another promotion to Manager grade which takes effect from October.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

The major benefit of having a career with a company as widely respected as EY, as well as gaining a professional qualification, is that you have a number of options to develop both within EY and beyond. Gaining a globally recognised qualification means that I have a number of career options and paths available to me across the world. However, having been at EY for almost 8 years, I intend to continue to progress within the company. There are many partners at EY who joined the firm as school leavers and these act as great role models and motivation for me to continue to work my way up the team.

What would be your top tip for someone looking at alternatives to university?

My main tip for someone looking at alternatives to university is to research all opportunities and develop a clear understanding of what you want to do. Although it is hard to commit to a career when still at school, it is vital that the jobs applied for are one's which excite and motivate you to succeed. I would encourage anyone who has an interview to ensure that are completely prepared by looking into the company and the role they are applying for to be able to impress their interviewer with knowledge they have developed by them themselves.