Eimhin Burns, NAV Fund Accounting Graduate, Hedgeserv

What does your job involve?

One of my daily responsibilities would be to complete cash reconciliations. That would involve compiling a set of broker data, comparing it to our data and looking for any discrepancies. We classify discrepancies as ‘breaks’, and these breaks would be dealt with on a daily basis. Another daily task would be corporate actions. I would run daily reports, which I compare to the Bloomberg machine to check the prices and dates are correct. I need to make sure that what we’ve booked is right and highlight any issues to a manager, and also come up with solutions.

What are the skills required for success?

Communication is a vital skill in any job, especially in HedgeServ, being part of such a diverse team. It’s important to realise that not only are you working for a small group of people but also as part of a wider team. An ability to listen to others and take on constructive feedback is very important. Time management is another key skill. You don’t want to unnecessarily waste time as we have a heavy workload here at HedgeServ, so prioritising work can be very beneficial in that regard. Obviously, numeracy skills and an interest in numbers and accountancy have proved very helpful for me.

What made you choose a job in this sector?

In my undergraduate I studied Molecular Medicine at Trinity. Obviously you wouldn’t expect a Molecular Medicine student to go on to study fund accountancy, but it goes back to my Leaving Cert days when I was torn between accountancy and science. I was given good advice on how it’s difficult to transition from business to science but it’s easier to transition from science to business, so I decided to give science a go. From an early stage I could see I was more focussed on the numbers side of science like data analysis, stuff like that. In second year I began thinking maybe science wasn’t for me. I spoke to a lot of people who had gone from science to business and they all really enjoyed it.

What do you love about your job?

One of the main things I love about the job is the people I work with. They really make HedgeServ the place that it is. It’s a very young and vibrant atmosphere with a large emphasis on learning on the job. Everyone is very approachable in the office. Be it a director or a fund accountant, if you have a problem, they will help you. In terms of my own personal education, I’ve recently enrolled for my ACCA examinations. A lot of people here gave gone through the same process as me so it’s handy when I’m choosing which college I want to go to or getting any theory questions answered.

Any advice for a first year student?

Being heavily involved in sports or social activities in college is very important. At the time I didn’t realise the importance it would have on my life later on. I was club captain of the Badminton side in Trinity, which allowed me to interact with the higher level management within college and transferred very well to communicating with higher level management at HedgeServ. Even something as simple as being given two weeks for an assignment helps you learn to prioritise your time. A structured and methodical approach to your work is beneficial in making sure you get your work done on time and to a high standard.