Julian McGowan - Audit Manager

The employment offering at the Commission really is second-to-none.

"If you asked me what it was that makes me love what I do, I’d find it difficult to call one thing, but overall I think it’s that I’m fully engaged and mentally stimulated from the moment I sit down in the morning to the moment I finish for the day - and I always finish at a good time because the Commission really encourage a healthy work/life balance. The other thing of course, the thing which attracted me to apply in the first place, is the fact that I’m working for an organisation where positive societal change, value for money and quality - as opposed to profit - are our motivation. 

"Day to day I could be working on anything from statutory accounts to Good Conduct and Counter Fraud initiatives. I also manage CIPFA trainees and do some resource planning for my team. Whilst it’s really the technical aspect of my job which I enjoy most, I also like the fact it’s my responsibility to nurture talent. I feel like it makes me a much more rounded achiever. Working here is very different from working in private sector organisations - the Commission seems to put much more emphasis on the well-being of staff but also seems to always be one step ahead of the game - striving to set the agenda on all kinds of issues, such as sustainability and diversity. 

"My advice to somebody thinking of a career at the Commission? Well, if you like to be pushed and challenged in your career, yet given the flexibility and support to do all the other things in life you enjoy, this could really be the place for you. They are endlessly adaptable, both to their professional remit and with the people who work with them. That, alongside their overarching remit which touches millions of lives across the country, is a rare combination."