For our Alumna of the Month interview, we spoke to Milly Barnshaw, Accounting Apprentice at Markel International.
Milly joined Bromley High School in 2013 and left in 2018, after studying Mathematics, Economics, Classical Civilisation, AS Physics and Further Maths.
Please can you briefly describe your current role?
My current role of Lloyd’s Reporting Accountant at Markel International includes analysing and filing reports for the company and submitting returns to Lloyds of London. I produce board papers on a quarterly basis and complete annual statutory accounts for the company’s subsidiaries and managing agents.
How did Bromley High School help shape your future career?
My career ambitions changed throughout my time at Bromley High, initially from Forensic Scientist to an Economist to an Accountant specialising in the insurance industry. Bromley High not only offered support in my career choices but offered advice on where my skill set would be useful, and were enthusiastic towards my decision to do an apprenticeship over university.
What aspects of Bromley High School did you most enjoy, and find most rewarding?
In 2013, my parents made the decision for me to change secondary schools to Bromley High, due to the lack of support from my previous school with regards to my dyslexia. This previous school had predicted that, due to my dyslexia, I did not have the ability to achieve anything higher than a C in all my GCSEs, despite my natural ability with Mathematics. Bromley High offered a form of education I had not experienced at my previous school and gave me a new appreciation for education. The most rewarding part of my time at Bromley High School was getting my exam results and proving to myself; I can do it.
What is your favourite memory of being at Bromley High School?
My favourite memories all come from my A-level years. Not only was I studying subjects I enjoyed, the classes were smaller and despite still being a teenager I was treated like an adult. I had the amazing opportunity to go Geneva to visit the Large Hadron Collider, which is my most impressive story to date.
What value do you get out of your connections with your fellow alumnae?
As you leave Bromley High School you realise the contacts you have are a great starting point for building your own network. For example, my friend’s mother is a qualified accountant and I was able to ask questions about her career and ask advice on my plan not to go to university. You can ask for help with work experience, CV drafting and interviewing techniques, which are all important skills when you are starting your career straight from school, with no university connections.
How have you benefited from being part of the wider GDST community?
I had job interviews with seven different companies before I landed my role at Markel International. At one interview, the interviewer turned out to be a GDST alumnae. Whilst I did not get that job, she connected with me on LinkedIn and offered to introduce me to a Finance Director for work experience with a company in the same building. Luckily, I had landed my role at Markel International, but in a fiercely competitive labour market your network is vital. The GSDT community offers a network of amazing women who are always happy to help fellow alumnae, myself included.