GoodbyeAs I come to the end of my training contract I have decided that this is the opportune time for me to make a change in career direction, so this will be my last post for the graduate blog.

As a fitting final post, I thought I would share some of my favourite highlights of being a trainee with you:

  • College days: while exams were challenging (and frankly horrible), I really enjoyed my time at college studying with the rest of my intake. It instilled a camaraderie in us which I know I will not find anywhere else.
  • International trips: I have been extremely fortunate in my allocations and was lucky enough to participate on audits in New York and Geneva. I found international work to be extremely interesting and really enjoyed discovering new places.
  • Variety of work: during my three years at the NAO I have worked across a variety of departments and also a range of clients. I have found myself in many unexpected situations and locations, from the top of a building verifying the existence of solar panels, to telephone interviews with doctors.
  • Social activities: I have loved the opportunity to have a go at netball again after my school days and really enjoyed being part of the team. Other office-wide social events such as the film and pop quizzes are always really good fun and team meals are highlights of the working year.
  • People: I have made some great friends for life during my time at the NAO and I will be sad to leave them.

I’ve had a really great time at the NAO and it has been a fantastic place for me to train and learn. Everyone who leaves the organisation always says that what they will miss most are the people that they have worked with, and I can confirm that this is most definitely the case for me.

The NAO graduate blog thanks Rachael for being part of the blogging team and contributing so many blog posts. We are really sorry to see Rachael go but wish her the very best for the future – and hope she keeps on blogging!

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