'If you want it, go out & get it' - #Youth4Good, Article 16 by Darryl Smith

Looking back, I’m genuinely proud of what I’ve achieved so far in life and while I’m far from done, things could so easily have turned out differently...

Today, I’m a 33-year-old Chartered Accountant from the UK living in Sydney, Australia. I work for the oldest company in the land, Westpac Banking Corporation and I get to travel by ferry to and from work. Every Single Day!

Being 33 years old means that it’s been around 15 years (wow!) since I was enjoying the thrills and excitement of “Fresher’s Week” and kicking off my studies for a Bachelor of Finance at the University of Sheffield. An ambitious but na?ve 18-year-old still wet behind the ears with a dream to make a difference in the world.

It also means that I’ve been living a life for 15 years that I’m not sure was possible even in my wildest of dreams!

Growing up in inner-city Manchester, living in a small terraced house sharing a bedroom with my younger brother, there were no real expectations that I would graduate from university. I didn’t have any goals or plans back then, I’m not even sure I knew what it was to have goals to be honest, but I did have a relentless amount of belief from my parents and a fire in my belly to be the best version of me I could be. I just didn’t know what that might look like. I had no idea how high to aim, how far someone like me could go. I just knew I wanted to go far and that further education was a way for me to make that happen.

I remember being at one of the big university fairs at the GMEX Centre in Manchester. I collected the prospectuses of all the major universities, I must have had at least 30 of them crammed into my backpack. I took them home and every night for the next few months I would stay up late and read through them, cover to cover, fantasizing about what life would be like as a university student and the opportunities a degree would bring – having my own dorm room (with dial up internet), walking to lectures with my new friends, studying in the library, having beers at the student union and most importantly a career! It literally became an obsession of mine to turn this dream into a reality.

It was all I thought about until that memorable day when I received my unconditional UCAS offer letter! I graduated in 2005, the first in my family to ever do so. A real dream come true!

It wasn’t long after starting university that my focus started to shift to life after graduation. I’d heard of this elusive group of Big Five (r.i.p. Arthur Anderson) audit firms but again, just as I did when thinking about applying to university, I was convinced that these guys were just one step too far for someone like me. That didn’t stop me from fantasizing though.

I again remember attending a big graduate careers fair in Sheffield. I collected information from all of the top companies; brochures, leaflets, pamphlets, I read their careers websites ‘cover to cover’ and started on what was becoming a familiar process of visualizing my life but this time working for a top graduate employer – wearing a suit to work, getting paid a salary, working with young ambitious people, studying for a professional qualification, setting myself up for the future and not to mention having after work drinks! It again became an obsession of mine to turn this dream into a reality. It was all I thought about until I accepted an offer for a role on the KPMG graduate program to start in September 2005! Another real dream come true moment!

Since then, I’ve been on a wild ride during my career. Like I said earlier it’s been a life I never expected and I try not to take any of it for granted. I’ve been fortunate to have relocated around the world a number of times having lived and worked in London, the Cayman Islands, New York City and now my current home Sydney, Australia. I’ve had roles with some of the world’s most respected names in finance and more recently have started taking some significant inroads into my leadership journey.

It’s not always been “dream it and make it happen” though. I’ve always gone out of my way to seek advice and insights from people who have been where I want to go. I have never been afraid to ask for guidance or help with overcoming obstacles. Over the last couple of years I’ve noticed a slight shift in the tide – I’ve started being asked for advice. Mostly students and recent graduates but also young professionals looking to step up in their careers.

The biggest question I’m asked by students is “Darryl, how do I get onto a Grad Program? How do I stand out from all the other applicants and make sure I’m the one at the end holding the job offer??”

Well, you’re in luck!

So what do I think has made the difference for me? I could probably separate it into three key ingredients:

1) Desire - you’ve got to want it, like, really want it.

I’m not quite sure where it came from but that fire in my belly has been a huge part of my ability to achieve success. It’s that burning desire that is impossible to ignore. Visualising the result, the end goal, viscerally living the life you desire. Absorbing as much information as you can to blur the lines between dreams and reality. It’s an unhealthy mix of ambition and insanity that has taken me to some of the most unexpected places!

2) Preparation – just know the process inside out.

I think I’ve got this down to a science now. I have a clear, thorough, step-by-step process that I follow before every big interview or meeting. I research, I practice, I plan for different scenarios playing out and I make sure I know exactly who I’m meeting, where I’m meeting them and what is expected of me. I have a few role models in life and one in particular is the king of preparation. A question I always ask myself is “What would Bill do?” and it seems to have paid off. I’ve learned from the best!

3) Mindset - don’t just think you’re good enough, know you are.

Having the right mindset is the critical ingredient for me. It’s probably been the hardest to maintain too, especially when I was younger and even more so when I’m aiming high. I truly believe that you can have all the desire in the world, prepare until the cows come home but without the right mindset and attitude, your chances of success are severely limited. Believing in yourself, not just when things are good but when things get tough and scary, is critical and is what separates those that are able to achieve success and not.

And If you were to ask what else, having nailed each of the three ingredients above? That would definitely be to take action!

Don’t just think about it. Wishing. Hoping. Watching others take what you want.

If you want it, go out and get it!

Now, if you’re a student or recent grad, I’ve been busy building something for you! It’s designed to train and prepare you for the grueling selection process used by the top graduate employers. It’s still a work in progress but I will be launching it very soon.

If you want to be the first to know when it’s ready, please add yourself to my “early-bird” waitlist:

https://darrylsmithtraining.lpages.co/earlybird/

Or if you want to find out more, feel free to connect and drop me a message. I have some materials that I would love to share with you! 

'Darryl is a powerful mix of passion, desire & focus. He wants to be the best he can be and help others achieve the same. He has a quiet assurance and confidence. He has created opportunity from inner city Manchester to Sydney CBD and beyond. He is a winner in life as he makes things happen vs watching from the sidelines.' AJMF , Founder #Y4G

?#youth4good - our purpose is to give amazing young people the opportunity to share their passions, thoughts, ideas and stories - to inspire, inform, provoke thought and educate through both words and deeds.