Career Spotlight: Financial Accountant
Fionn Brennan joined Distilled SCH in November 2020 as a Financial Accountant and was one of the first few people to be onboarded remotely. We chatted to Fionn about life, career, and the advice he would give people starting out on the same career path as him.
Tell us about your career before Distilled?
I know a lot of people have a plan of what they want to do when they’re younger but I had no clue really. I was always good at accounting and business in school so decided to study BESS in Trinity as it seemed to give a lot of options to graduates coming out of the course. Coming to the end of the 4 years I was still struggling to decide on what I would do next. There were a number of popular paths open whether it was sales, finance or consulting and I had friends going into a variety of roles. I chose to pursue the accounting route and started my glamorous career in the world of Audit!
I was able to get a job in one of the Big Four (PwC to be specific) and worked in the Assurance practice (fancy word for Audit, don’t let them fool you) for 4 years, doing the accounting exams with Chartered Accountants Ireland. Ireland was definitely on the road to economic recovery coming out of college but I must admit that I did like the certainty of having a job lined up out of college from the start of 4th year.
PwC was a great experience as it’s more of an extension to college as you’re part of an intake of 300+ graduates so there was always a great social life which made the transition into the working world easier. I learnt a lot there but it wasn’t easy working long hours and then doing the accounting exams on top of it all. I did get the opportunity to work in Seattle for 6 months which was brilliant, although the long hours followed me there of course.
I knew working in Audit wasn’t something I wanted to do long term so I left shortly after my training contract finished and went on to work in Finance at Brown Thomas Arnotts, working mostly on the Arnotts side. It was a great role and I gained so much experience in industry and it definitely helped land me the role in Distilled!
Why did you choose Distilled at the time you joined?
Studying economics in college, I’ve always had an interest in the housing market having studied a module on the topic in final year and with Daft being the leading experts on housing in Ireland, I thought it would be a really interesting place to work. I’ve always bought and sold stuff on Adverts/Done Deal so I had a connection to the company and thought they were great sites to use.
Distilled approached me about a role on the Finance team and after a couple of interviews and meeting some of the team, I was sold. Everyone was so friendly and I got a great feeling during the interview process. I loved the ethos of the company and the fact they operated with a start-up mentality — that really excited me. It’s great to be part of a growing Irish company where strategic decisions are made locally, and a finance function that is continuously improving.
What was your first role in Distilled? How have you progressed since first joining the company?
I was hired as a financial accountant and although my role is still very much finance orientated, I’ve gotten the opportunity to work more and more with the commercial side of the business which is something that I’ve always been interested in. Since I’ve joined, our focus has been building out the finance function, trying to improve processes and reporting. I’ve been part of some of the reports that we’ve developed for the business where we’re trying to give better timely information so that the commercial teams can make better strategic decisions. I’ve learnt so much about online marketplaces in such a short time with the company but I still have so much to grasp — it’s all ahead of me!
I also got the opportunity to become a Mental Health First Aider which is brilliant that Distilled are taking their employees well-being so seriously as to invest in this. It’s one thing that I’ve really noticed is the emphasis that Distilled put on Wellness and their employees putting their mental health as a priority. It’s clear that Distilled have handled the ‘working from home’ transition very well — there’s been plenty of conversation on getting fresh air during the day and finishing early on Fridays.
I’ve worked for Distilled for 6 months now and unfortunately I haven’t met any of my colleagues face-to-face but I feel like I know them quite well and that it hasn’t affected my experience at all. I think that says a lot about the company, although I am looking forward to meeting everyone in person soon.
What would be your advice to graduates just starting out their career in this field?
I’m not out of college that long so it’s important to take my advice with a pinch of salt! I would try to find out what motivates you whether it’s financial gain, job satisfaction or work-life balance. I’m sure you can get all 3 in some roles but there are the typical industries/roles where you’ll find each of the above. I think working with great people is so important, no matter what role or industry you’re working in so if you come upon a great team I think you’re on to a winner.
It’s very hard to know what avenue to take after college but I would say that whatever role you find yourself in, make sure that you take every opportunity that comes your way. I got the chance to work in Seattle with PwC, study in Sweden in college and I can’t imagine not having taken those opportunities. And they don’t have to come in the shape of career moves or drastic relocations but it could just mean volunteering to work on a specific project or leading a sales pitch for a new client. You should get out of your comfort zone regularly as you won’t develop or progress without this. It’s important to broaden your horizons, not just in life but also in your career.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received that has helped you get to where you are today?
Always be learning. This follows on from the previous question but I think it’s important to constantly be developing and learning new things on the job and not get stuck in a role long term. Continuous learning and improvement is essential in your career.
I also think that it’s so important to be kind and treat everyone with respect. I’m not sure being kind has got me where I am today but it can’t have hurt. Having the skills integral to the job is only part of the equation; it’s important to be personable and get on with people too.
