Never a dull day in finance

British Science Week is a national event that provides a platform for educators, professionals, communicators and the public to recognise and celebrate the work being undertaken in STEM related fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). This year’s theme is ‘Innovating for the Future’ and, with so many Portsmouth graduates working in STEM, we want to showcase the important work they’re doing and how they are innovating for the future in their roles.

There’s more to accounting than just crunching numbers. People who work in the accounting field are helping others to plan the necessary steps to achieve their financial goals. Accounting requires mathematical problem solving and, as such, is considered a STEM subject. 

We asked BA (Hons) Accounting with Finance 2018 graduate Jaanvi Patel to tell us about her role as a Management Accountant for Greenlight Digital and why she's passionate about accounting.

How did you get into accounting?

I find it interesting how valuable and essential accounting is. It’s the language used to create a story. It’s not your usual story, but it’s a story using numbers. You are taking numbers from every aspect of finance and using them to portray a picture of the business. This is vital as management and other stakeholders will use these to make business decisions to ensure the business is heading in the right direction. 

I have always had a passion for finance from a young age. I’ve always enjoyed crunching numbers and the finance module within business studies has always intrigued me, so I absolutely knew I was going to study A-level maths and business, followed by accounting and finance at university.

How did studying at the University of Portsmouth help your career?

Studying BA (Hons) Accounting with Finance at Portsmouth gave me an understanding of both financial and management accounting. This helped me get to where I am today as it made me aware of what I enjoyed and where my strengths lie. The course also gave me the opportunity to undertake a work-based module where I was able to gain insight into working in the real world. I was so proud of myself when I received an award for ‘Outstanding Professionalism’, which really stood out to employers when applying for roles after I had graduated. 

Where did you go after graduation?

Greenlight Digital is a full-service Digital & Commerce Marketing Agency that provides services such as SEO, paid search and shopping, app and website design, and content marketing to name but a few.

I work in finance, which is never a dull day as there is always something going on. Working in this field gives me an insight to learn more about the company, as well as the industry. As a Management Accountant, my day-to-day tasks consist of creating management accounts for the directors and the board, variance analysis, preparing budgets and working with other department heads and reporting.

I’m also studying for my CIMA qualification alongside work which gives me more of an understanding of other paths within accounting and finance and how it all comes together.

What would be your advice?

Whether you’re a student or a graduate, I highly recommend getting into STEM. It’s a diverse industry that opens many doors. My advice for finding a STEM role is:

• Do your research and build your network as it’s essential in helping to build relationships with professionals to kickstart your career
• Ask questions to gain all the knowledge you need to make your way into STEM and to have a successful career
• Find other courses that you can do outside of your degree or workplace to get an insight into STEM
• Research the areas of STEM you will enjoy most as this is what will motivate you and keep you going all the way to the top!