Got two offers! Which entry level job would be the best start for my career?

I studied: Finance and Accounting at a semi target in the UK.(just graduated)

The industries I want to work in are: Banking/financial services/Fintech; in London.

The roles I want to work towards are: Risk management/risk consultant/ Or; Finance analyst doing valuations/forecasting/company analysis

Here is my dilemma:

Role 1: Accounting assistant in industry (B2B pensions consultancy firm) which pays for my ACA chartered accountancy exams (equivalent to CPA). Would do a mixture of financial, management accounting and some adhoc pensions stuff. Plan would be to get chartered, move to GRC/deals advisory/valuations at B4 then jump to one of the industries mentioned above.

Role 2: Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) associate at a regional building society (pretty much a bank which only does mortgages). Where I would be doing admin, working closely with the CRO and the GRC teams by supporting their activities (internal audits, risk registers, some risk analysis. Plan would be to gain exposure to GRC in a ‘bank’, then move to one of the industries mentioned above I.e. Lloyds/HSBC/Starling and work up from there. (Maybe do masters.)

Which route seems best? Please pick these options a part. Critique them. I am so stuck and I’ve got to make this decision pretty soon. Head is telling me go for the training contract, but could the building society exposure be a direct route in rather than getting chartered?

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