Having bounced back from exam failure, KPMG’s Sean McNally knows a thing or two about success and how to achieve it.
What do you enjoy most and least about your career in accountancy?
My three years in KPMG have been a major learning curve, and I’ve gained valuable life and professional experience. I like the people and culture at KPMG, and I made some lasting friendships while training at the firm. What I least enjoy about my career, however, is the long hours during busy season!
When it comes to your success to date, which mattered more – ambition or talent?
Success is inextricably linked to hard work and personal effort. That said, ambition matters more in my view. Taking on new challenges, stepping outside my comfort zone and volunteering for additional roles such as CASSI has given me unique experience and boosted my future prospects as a Chartered Accountant.
What single trait has been most valuable in helping you get ahead professionally?
Persistence. Nothing worth having in life comes easy and throughout my training contract, challenges have become the norm. Learning from mistakes, working hard and having a positive attitude have helped me conquer those challenges. For example, I failed my CAP 2 exams at the first attempt but that didn’t put me off. I worked hard on my exam technique, bounced back and passed on my second attempt. This allowed me to progress to FAE in the same year.
If you were mentoring a new trainee, what advice would you give them?
Be aware of the key influencers on your team and ensure that your interactions leave a positive image of your attitude, commitment and drive. Understand your appraiser’s role and their goals for you. Endeavour to create the right work-life balance from the outset by arriving early to work and leaving at a reasonable time. It’s also important to build strong relationships with your peers and to support each other. Lastly, learn from your mistakes – as a trainee, you’re not expected to get everything right. Identify issues and work out potential solutions before discussing these solutions with your manager.
Between CASSI and the day job, you’re a busy guy. How do you maximise your productivity?
Being organised is the short answer. In addition to my day job, my role in CASSI has a range of commitments from meeting the education team throughout the year to attending council meetings. I maximise my productivity by prioritising obligations and delegating tasks to relevant committee members. The CASSI committee operates as a team and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the committee for their hard work and commitment.
Lastly, how do you switch off?
I enjoy playing sport, particularly GAA and running, and I go to the gym to wind down. I also played tag rugby recently with KPMG, which has been great. Exercise aside, I like to take part in corporate social responsibility activities supported by KPMG and socialising with friends.