First-class accounting graduate sets his sights on global stage

An ambitious University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) graduate is one step closer to achieving his career dreams after landing a job with prestigious global accountancy firm PwC.

Jakub Czyzyk, who graduated from UCLan this week with a first-class degree in BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance, has already been snapped up by PwC’s graduate scheme after beating off competition from thousands of other applicants.

The 25-year-old Polish native will spend up to two years honing his skills as a professional auditor and training to become a fully qualified chartered accountant. He secured the job after impressing the company when on work placement during the third year of his studies.

Jakub said: “Undoubtedly, the process for getting a business placement at PwC was challenging and required a lot of preparation. The company has high expectations for new joiners, which isn’t surprising considering it is one of biggest accountancy firms in the world.”

Jakub already has the global market in mind and aims to work in Shanghai and New York over the next decade as he pursues his goals of working in private equity, hedge fund or asset management.

“Accounting and finance are at the heart of every single business, regardless of the industry, and provides unlimited career opportunities” he said.

“During my four years at UCLan, I proved to myself many times that everything is impossible until someone does it. Since then, I do not ask myself whether I’m going to do something or not, but instead consider how long is it going to take me to accomplish? I am fully confident that I have all the necessary tools to fulfil my dreams.”

Jakub has worked hard over the last four years to juggle living in a new country with full-time study and part-time work, as well as aiming to impress on his year-long work placement.

He said: “I worked several part-time jobs during my time at University, so having excellent time management and consistently focusing on my goals were the only way to succeed.”

He added: “My overall experience studying at UCLan exceeded my expectations. I truly believe that the educational experience and the exposure to different teaching styles provided by my tutors has given me a different perspective about life and what I really want to do as a professional.

“I came to the UK aged 19 after finishing high school with no financial background. The only things I had were a box of clothes and a desire to make my dreams come true.’’

“Everyone should have an opportunity to experience this. Studying abroad, learning about different cultures and meeting people from all over the world is one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have.”