"If I can see it, I can be it"

Charlotte Rose Keating reflects on her path from a law graduate to achieving FCA status, highlighting the transformative power of stepping out of your comfort zone so you can achieve more in work and life

I was awarded FCA status in January. Reflecting on my career journey so far, with its twists and turns, I am grateful for the chain of events that led me to become a Chartered Accountant and excited to see what being a Fellow will bring. 

At school, I never imagined it would be possible for me to be a member of the accountancy profession. Maths was my Achilles heel. I believed I wasn’t numerical. Being a fan of debating and problem-solving through words, I got my law degree from Trinity College Dublin. 

I graduated in 2008, but with the uncertainty of the financial crisis, it was not the ideal time to apply for graduate jobs. This, combined with uncertainty in my personal life, drove my need to secure a good role. 

One evening, while applying for law firm training contracts, an advertisement for Deloitte popped up on my screen. Intrigued, I clicked to learn more and was pleased to see that the firm encouraged applications from individuals of varied backgrounds, not just those with accounting and finance-related degrees. 

“I’ll take the risk”

As I selected the Enterprise Risk Services Department, I thought, “I’ll take the risk,” and applied. Like magic, things started to fall into place. 

While on holiday, I got called for an interview and as it turned out, one of my travel companions had trained with Deloitte and specialised in risk. She and her partner sat me down around a campfire to give me advice and conduct a mock interview. 

Sure enough, it ended up being a fantastic interview experience.
 
When I was offered the role, I couldn’t wait to get started, seeing it as an opportunity to diversify, understand the business world and overcome a long-held fear of numbers. 

Working mainly in internal audit and regulatory compliance for various public and private sector clients, I leveraged my law degree while developing new skills and confidence. 

Training and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant involved stepping out of my comfort zone, but it is one of the best decisions I’ve made. Yes, it gave me security, but it provided me with so much more, including the opportunity to travel and fulfil a lifelong dream of living and working in New York City. 

The qualification was an invaluable asset when I pursued professional acting, not a fallback. Being a member of the profession provided me with the tools and the self-belief I needed to set up my own coaching and training business – Act On It Coaching – where I work with individuals and companies to support personal and professional development. 

Despite taking my qualification in a different direction, I still use it daily to support and add value to my clients. My membership is something I treasure and I value the support of the Institute.

The bias challenge

Since my training days and throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have had wonderful role models and mentors who reflected my strengths and encouraged me, guiding me on where to improve and imparting advice drawn from their own career journeys. 

I’ve had the privilege of working with many inspiring, strong women. Having female camaraderie and confidantes is extremely beneficial at any stage in one’s career. 

Bias, both conscious and unconscious, is still a challenge in the workplace, and there remains a lack of female representation in key decision-making roles. As the saying goes, “If I can see it, I can be it”, and female role models at the partner and senior executive levels are essential in enabling junior-level women to envision their own career pathways.

Mutual respect and people accepting one another’s unique qualities and differences naturally fosters inclusion and encourages individuals to play to their strengths to make a positive impact and contribution in what they do.

Take responsibility for your career 

When it comes to navigating career advancement, the most effective strategy, in my opinion, is to start with you. Take responsibility for your career. 

I have asked myself what I want to achieve as I have learned that self-reflection is so important to set short- and long-term goals. I have reflected on my strengths, achievements and the aspects of work I enjoy to build confidence in the present that can propel me towards future achievements. 

To keep focused, on track and in charge of my career, I check in regularly and ask myself questions like:

• What do I need to do more of?
• What do I need to do less of?
• What do I need to start doing?
• What do I need to do differently?
• What do I need to stop doing altogether?

This practice helps me to identify professional opportunities and be prepared to put myself forward confidently. 

It’s also highly beneficial to get clarity from others. Asking a senior colleague the simple question, “how am I getting on?” can help you to understand whether or not you are meeting expectations. 

Seeking feedback from clients and junior staff is also fundamental to growth and career progression. 

Good and timely communication prevents conflicts and misunderstandings and dramatically reduces anxiety. It’s important to be technically strong, of course, but we need to hone our soft skills, especially in this era of artificial intelligence.

As I was in a small but growing department when I started with Deloitte, I was fortunate to have ample opportunities to develop leadership skills early on. 

An aspect of my work that I particularly enjoyed was coaching and mentoring junior staff members and designing and delivering training for them. 
This led to me developing the Trainee Toolkit, a programme I have been rolling out across different firms to support the next generation of Chartered Accountants in succeeding in their exams and training contracts, assisting the efforts to plug the talent gap and future-proof the profession. 

Tap into your professional community 

Being part of the family of Chartered Accountants provides us with community, whatever stage of our career we are in. It’s vital to tap into this community and make the most of the support available to advance our careers. 

Collectively, we give ourselves a sense of purpose, an appreciation of our individuality and health and wellbeing benefits.  

Nurturing relationships and building connections within this community can be particularly beneficial for women, who face various unique challenges in the profession. 

Mentoring and networking allows women to brainstorm collectively, share solutions to challenges, professional and personal experiences, to thrive, build confidence, take control of their careers and ultimately experience greater fulfilment in all that they do.

Managing work-life balance

As a self-confessed adrenaline junkie, I love saying yes to new challenges. This is my biggest issue when it comes to work-life balance. I take on a lot because I don’t want to say no to opportunities to grow. Being mindful and focusing on each task to the best of my ability helps me to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 

Good time management is also key; anticipating unforeseen events and factoring buffer time into my projects reduces pressure. A non-negotiable is my daily walk. It’s my chance to reflect, exercise and clear the cobwebs. I often go out with a problem and come home with a solution.

Living a more holistic life where we can be at our best involves recognising that nothing is wasted, all experiences in and out of the workplace, all the successes and setbacks shape us into who we are, and it’s good to take stock of this daily.

Cultivating personal and professional relationships helps us perform at our best and feel good in the process.

Charlotte Rose Keating, FCA, is CEO of Act On It Coaching 

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My Story So Far: Women's Career Series

Last year, Accountancy Ireland introduced a new series in collaboration with the Gender Working Group of the Institute’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Focused on the women in our membership, we are relaunching this series this year under the new banner ‘My Story So Far: Women’s Career Series’. It follows the 2022 publication of a global Chartered Accountants Worldwide survey which explored opportunities for women in the profession.

The survey found no obvious gender-related barriers to entry into the profession but revealed that a growing number of women were making the decision to leave or pivot within the profession mid-career.

‘My Story So Far: Women’s Career Series’ seeks to highlight the experiences of the women in our membership and provide a forum to share their insights into how they have managed their careers in tandem with their lives and overcome the challenges and obstacles they have encountered along the way.