From Graduate to Senior Management Accountant; Emma's story so far

We take exceptional pride in nurturing talent and celebrating the achievements of our team. Today, we’re delighted to share the inspiring story of Emma Mosley, whose journey with us is a testament to hard work, self-discovery, and the power of a supportive workplace.

Finding the right fit

Emma’s journey started much the same as many students: searching for a placement year during her accounting and finance degree. Initially, she considered the big firms, but quickly realised they weren’t for her.

“I started doing some interview processes, and I absolutely hated it. It’s too big, and they don’t seem to care the same about the people. So I started looking online at where else I could go that would be a bit smaller… I found Shorts online, researched the website, and made the decision to email directly to ask if Shorts did placements.”

Shorts didn’t have a formal placement scheme in place at the time, but Emma’s initiative paid off. She was invited for an interview that she remembers felt like a friendly and relaxed chat, and soon after, she began her placement year.

Learning from day one

Emma’s first days were filled with new experiences - even the “boring” jobs were exciting to her:

“I spent the first few days processing invoices. They kept apologising to me for giving me what they said were the ‘boring’ jobs, but I was loving life. I just wanted to learn.”

She quickly became involved in different teams, including Projects, Management Accounts, and even Payroll when they needed more help. Emma’s willingness to jump in and help wherever needed made her stand out.

“It was certainly my experience, that wherever you showed talent and you were learning really quickly, you were encouraged to do more here at Shorts. And that worked really well for me, because I wanted to learn more.”

Staying connected and coming back

After her placement, Emma was invited to return one day a week during her final year at university. This kept her connected to the team and allowed her to keep learning. Following her graduation in the summer of 2020, she joined Shorts full-time, first in the GENUS management accounts team, and then in the audit team.

Emma’s career has been shaped by her openness to new experiences and her drive to keep learning. She’s worked across several teams, gaining a deep understanding of how businesses operate and how different roles fit together.

Discovering new passions

One of the surprises along the way has been when Emma discovered a love for training others:

“I used to hate anything where I felt like the centre of attention, but after my experiences of working with Alicia in the Projects team, I grew and developed. and now I train other members of the team in using the software we use at Shorts as well.”

Emma’s story shows that stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to unexpected and rewarding opportunities.

Support and balance

Balancing work and study is never easy, but Emma found Shorts to be incredibly supportive:

“We got a lot of study time and pre-exam study. If we had any times which were less busy, they would let me study in work hours. When I had outside issues, Michelle and Ian would check in and make sure I was okay.”

This support helped Emma progress with a number of promotions, including from assistant to supervisor, and now to Senior Management Accountant within the Genus team. Her advice for others is simple and practical:

“Take every opportunity available. Ask for help, ask questions, and listen. Take on more and push to do more.”

Advice for future graduates

Emma encourages students and graduates to be honest with themselves about what they want:

“Look at what you actually want, and do you actually want that job? Don’t just chuck everything out there and hope you get something. Focus on what you want.”

She also stresses the importance of asking questions and learning from those around you:

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You don’t get help if you don’t ask for it.”

Join us and start your own journey

Emma’s journey is a shining example of how Shorts supports its people to grow, learn, and thrive. If you’re inspired by her story and want to start your own career in a supportive, ambitious, and people-focused firm, we’d love to hear from you.

Visit our careers pages to find out more about graduate opportunities and placements at Shorts. Take the first step towards your own success story!