Reflective Friday

Last night, I had dinner with former colleagues from my first 'proper' job, a trainee accountant in the insolvency department of Ernst and Young (as it was back then before it got rebranded as corporate recovery). I was 18 when I joined and left when I was 21, back in 1999.

As we sat and caught up on the everyones news from the last 6 months, it really did make me think about the past.

A number of weird coincidences led to me getting the interview with EY, some of which stemmed from relationships that I had built up from playing cricket and some down to my own personality that, somehow, led various people to take a risk on an 18 year old A-level student that had decided that university wasn't the right direction for him.

I made mistakes in those early years, the transition from school to working life is huge. The lesson I got the day that I wore yellow football socks under my suit as I had run out of 'grown up' socks stuck in my mind forever. I was an adult now and had standards to meet up to, this was a golden opportunity and I had to make the most of it. I was representing EY, the insolvency department and, most importantly, myself.

At the time I didn't really appreciate it but as well as the life lessons that were being dished out I received the best grounding in professional and personal standards I could have asked for. I worked for, and with, amazing people that were free with their advice, knowledge and care for junior staff. To this day, I still apply those lessons and experiences to my daily work life.

I had to let a junior employee go recently and in their exit interview I begged them to use the negative experience or being let go as a positive, to make sure that they never let an opportunity slip through their fingers like this again. I hope that they listened to me.

From my grounding at EY I have had a career that has taken me all over the globe and, in so doing, let me meet some amazing colleagues and made lifelong friends. I would urge anyone looking to change employers to do it with dignity and professionalism, don't burn bridges. Take the good points from employers and workmates but don't forget the bad points and make sure that you don't make the same mistakes that they do.

I left EY almost 18 years ago and my old colleagues still care about me and ask about me as if I am a member of their family, they are there for advice and coaching and mentoring if I need them. Be free with your time and advice to those coming through the ranks too, you have no idea how much a kind word or a wise thought shared with someone can impact their career.