Our accounting and business advisory (ABA) graduate Luke was kind enough to sit down with us share his journey from university to the working world. Luke shared with us all the ways in which he has felt supported in making an impact during this exciting period in his career.
![Luke Watson - RSM](https://d8qb5cxd9qhkd.cloudfront.net/images/Luke_Watson.original.jpg)
Luke’s journey at RSM began with his placement year here in 2019. Luke went on to join the ABA graduate scheme in 2021 and has been here since.
Luke describes his time at RSM so far as ‘insightful and brilliant’, with ‘plenty of good challenges’. This is an excellent testimonial that we believe captures the sentiment of our graduates. Luke, like many of our graduates’ experiences, has been filled with extensive training and opportunities. Luke has been able to see all the ways his hard work has translated into success in return.
Before joining RSM, Luke studied an accounting and finance degree – which is how he found himself at RSM for his placement year. It’s clear Luke has had a passion for professional services from the outset of his career.
Luke credits his studies for providing him with a good foundation for report writing and the discipline he has regarding studying – something that has been required for his professional qualification. Along with these great skills, he also expressed the importance of the soft skills he has learned.
‘I think the university experience develops you significantly. For example – it helps develop your communication and social skills and helps you understand flexibility and comradery – all things that are key to maintaining a good team and work culture.’
At RSM, our early careers programmes bring all graduates up to speed with the key skills needed to succeed, regardless of what they studied before joining the firm.
Luke attests his success at RSM to the quality of training he has received.
‘Training on technical accounting topics has been very interesting and informative. My main support has come from the manager group within my team. My line manager supports me on more complex jobs and continues to give me more opportunities to manage engagements/responsibilities as I progress.’
And it’s not just personal development and progression which is important at RSM. This year, Luke was recognised for his contribution to making an impact on our digital future at our employee awards. Specifically, Luke’s passion for digital innovation and his role in knowledge sharing were called out. It shows that at RSM, you truly can shape the future of the firm no matter what stage of your career journey you’re at.
With Luke highlighting the importance of creating a culture of communication that supports progression, it’s no surprise that Luke’s advice to new starters is:
‘Ask questions and know that it’s ok to make mistakes! It’s the best way to learn.’
Luke is a great example of the high achieving individuals that we train here at RSM. So, if this sounds like a culture, you’d like to be part of, why not check out our graduate opportunities?
For more info on applications and interviews, click here.