After leaving 'Planet Grange' in Summer 2011, I went to King’s College, London, where I read French and Hispanic studies.
I spent years 1, 2 and 4 in London, studying at King’s on the Strand, with my 3rd year split between the Sorbonne in Paris and Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. I absolutely loved my time at university; I met some great people and even read some interesting texts (not all of them in English translation…). Without a doubt, the highlight of my time at university was making music. Years of Can Rob rehearsals helped to prepare me for a choral scholarship at King’s and I sang services in the college chapel several times a week. Additionally, I joined the all-male a Capella group ‘All the King’s Men’ which took me all around Europe, to the USA to perform on Broadway, and even to South Korea. I have continued to sing for various projects after graduating, including with the New London Singers, a chamber choir who rehearse weekly in London, and for which I am a Committee Member.
After graduating I joined the Graduate programme in Tax at PwC. Alongside full-time work I studied to become a Chartered Accountant (ACA) and, a glutton for punishment, undertook further study to become a Chartered Tax Advisor. My final 12 months at PwC were spent seconded in-house to an investment bank. Last year I moved across to EY where I am a manager in their People Advisory Services business, advising large Financial Services organisations on a variety of tax issues relating to their people. The thing I value most about my job is helping clients to solve complex problems – one recently sent me a cake to say thank you which was lovely, although I’m not sure what it was about me that made them conclude a cake was an appropriate gift…
I currently live in Crystal Palace in South East London, with my partner, Steve. After 9 years it would be hard to imagine leaving London, although I could definitely be tempted away for a year or two if the right international work opportunity presented itself.
In every job interview I’ve had, my interviewers were more interested in hearing about how I helped to raise money to fly to perform a capella music in Seoul than why I was enthusiastic about accountancy (although it helped to have prepared an answer for that too). The Grange definitely helped me to understand that life is about more than academic results, and I’ve learnt that employers definitely value well-rounded interests. Plus, it helps to have a reason to leave the office on time at least once a week!
That I wouldn’t have a full head of hair forever…
Sam Lyons
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