Julian McGowan - Audit Manager

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

“Being fully qualified is a great feeling. I finished all my formal qualifications in January 2004, and I felt a mixture of relief and happiness. Having said that, one of the things I love is that the learning never really stops at the Commission, so I'm still gaining various management and other specialist skills.

“The different challenges I'm facing now, 6 years in, as a manager are very rewarding. I have two clients, each with gross expenditure of £500m. My responsibilities fall across three main strands – maintaining client relationships, delivering the audits to quality standards and developing and motivating all staff involved.

“This requires a skill set that's very different to that which you have as a graduate trainee, but it's something you're continually working towards from day one with a tailored programme of on the job training and specific courses wherever necessary.

“You'll find you and your role never stop evolving here. A steep learning curve comes with commensurate rewards.

“In summary, the employment offering at the Commission really is second-to-none – you'll get a very broad range of work experience, generous study leave entitlements for professional training, which allow you to maintain a healthy work-life balance and you also become part of an extensive network very quickly, so not only do you have peers to help you in your work, but also in play, which makes it an altogether more enriching experience.”