Making a move into the public sector

The path of an accountant can go many ways, and one direction is towards the public sector. Sinead Henry explains her move to the public sector and what it has done for her career.

After graduating from Queen’s University Belfast with a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, I wasn’t sure what to do next. I worked for a year in the Students’ Union, before taking the step to becoming a trainee accountant in the public sector. As someone who had always been interested in politics and governance, I wanted to take on a role that would give me the chance to get a new qualification, while getting to have an insight and input into the public sector in Northern Ireland. The trainee accountant position in the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) ticked all these boxes. I started training with NIAO In September 2019.

One of the things I like most about working in the public sector is the uniqueness of the experience. I think people would be surprised to find out the quantum of public bodies in Northern Ireland and that they have a total spend of £25.7 billion. I couldn’t have imagined having the opportunity to work with such big clients this early in my career but I have spent the past few months auditing one of the biggest government departments in Northern Ireland. In my time spent working on COVID-19-related business grants to help Northern Irish businesses recover from the pandemic, I know I contributed to ensuring public money was spent properly. 

Who works for the public sector?

There may be an impression that the public sector is for an older age group who want a good pension, but there’s so much more to it. The public sector is rapidly changing and presents a wide variety of work – you can be assessing payroll controls in a local council one week, and doing a fixed asset check within a justice body the following week. This means there’s a huge range of experience and opportunities, which has allowed me to gain skills and knowledge I’ll take into my career as a Chartered Accountant. The NIAO has increased its intake of trainee accountants in recent years, which has given me the chance to form new relationships, and pass on the knowledge I’ve learned on the job and through my studies. 

Benefits to working in the public sector

The NIAO has given me the chance to better understand how the public sector works and allowed me to converse with different people across the sector. I’ve learned how to ask questions when something doesn’t work and how to communicate to clients effectively. As someone who can be nervous and shy at times, working in the public sector has greatly improved my confidence and communication skills. 

Building confidence

While there are many skills I’ve learned working in the public sector that will enhance my career as a Chartered Accountant, I think the most important skills I have developed are around communicating with clients and having difficult conversations with them. Having the level of confidence as a trainee accountant has come with time and will be with me throughout my career.  

From dealing with various clients, learning from peers to supporting more junior colleagues, public sector life has proved to be eventful, interesting and enjoyable.

Sinead Henry is a Trainee Accountant at Northern Ireland Audit Office.