Tell us about your role‍

I ensure customer invoices have been issued/paid whilst making sure suppliers are paid in a timely manner.

So day-to-day I use software to track and reconcile transactions and then run reports to verify that everything’s correct! There’s a lot more to it, but it’s all about making sure that even if the back-end is complicated, payments are processed smoothly for our teams and our clients.

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You’ve just joined, how have you found the remote switch?

I had some previous experiences working at Next which wasn’t fully remote, just hybrid. But its nothing like this where it’s really fast-paced and you’re given autonomy in your role.

I’m really enjoying how here, it’s more like ‘here’s the picture I want, go paint it however you think best’. It’s refreshing and allows you to develop your skills.

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And how did you get there?

Well at college I wanted to do something in business but I wasn’t so keen on business studies because it didn’t feel specialised enough. So when I found accounting, it felt very direct and clear.

I looked into what I needed from ACCA and sat all these papers at once. I actually missed most of the World Cup in 2018 because I was studying so hard! But it paid off and actually meant I could skip the first year of my University course and start halfway through the course, which was quite an achievement.

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And you’re on the path to ACCA accreditation?

So that university course gave me a great head start on that, giving me credits to part of my chartered status. I only have to do a handful of exams now that I’m in full-time work.

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We’re fully remote, so where would you ideally plop your desk down?

I would definitely go to a hot country.  I’m tempted to split it either six months here or six months there, but probably either the UAE or somewhere with blue skies. On weekends you’ve got the desert to explore and then lots of activities as well.

Have you seen the sandboarding they do out there? Have you tried that?

Not sandboarding, but in Dubai we did something similar. We had an experience day where you got to have food with a belly dancer show and then got to try quad bikes, which was amazing! You can imagine, it was like a movie. It was so hot while we’re bouncing around the desert and my mum was screaming with each bump haha!

Have you been on any other adventures recently?

I haven’t been on many holidays in recent years, with the pandemic and everything. But I was in Spain with friends, which was great fun- I don’t know if you’ve seen the banana boats they have there? Well I decided to site at the back, as nobody volunteered…

Well about 10 seconds in I was 10 feet in the air with my friends looking back like “where’s Farhan!?” Meanwhile I was in the water with a mouthful of salt!

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You keep fit don’t you?

Yeah I’m a huge sports fanatic. I love football and the gym, where I do a fair bit of resistance training. I’ve just joined a new gym with a sauna and (hopefully!) less crowded machines, I’m really looking forward to it as I’m trying to put some extra muscle on.

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Nice, do you support a football team as well then?

Yeah! I’m a huge Man United fan. In fact, one of my goals is to see Cristiano Ronaldo in the flesh at some point. He’s a huge inspiration for me.

You might be able to see him in Dubai then!

But speaking of exotic locations, what three items are you bringing to a deserted island?

Sunscreen, a knife and the Gen Z in me cant help but take a phone albeit a satellite phone so I always have service!