Trainee Assisstant Accountant Review

As an trainee assistant accountant, there are many different opportunities that I could come into contact with on a daily basis, and this varies with the time of year, and what is the priority (e.g. NHS accounts). Most days I will spend time learning about the client, and learning how to test parts of the accounts - this will also lead to conversations with the manager of the job, but also external people, e.g. the client. This allows me a lot of responsibility, and means that I am able to build my confidence up on a daily basis.

I would say that the job is very challenging, and this is what has helped me to develop new, and existing skills. For example, I use Excel a lot to do testing of accounts, and so my knowledge of Excel has become more refined to what I want to do, and also this is backed up through my learning at college, where I spend 1 day a week. The college days allow me to get more of an understanding of the basis of accountancy which I can then transfer to my day job. Prior to starting the job I would also say that I was quite shy in terms of speaking to new people but this has allowed me to become more able and confident when speaking to new people.

I really enjoy the programme that I am on, and would recommend it to School Leaver's if they would like a jump start in accountancy. This opportunity has allowed me the appropriate amount of responsibility, learning and new opportunities to build towards the career that I want. The company's ethos, alike my own shares the values of morals, with a relaxed vibe that makes the job a lot easier, and the people approachable. The job exceeded my expectations fully, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work towards my career at such a young age without going to university.

I would say that the majority of the time I do feel very valued as a team member, and this is always expressed through internal praise through my colleagues. I think overall, it is hard to feel valued when you work in a big company where most people feel like they are just a small fish in a big pond. But working at Grant Thornton does not make me feel like this in the slightest - this really shows off when the company gets the praise it deserves from external sources (e.g. the news).

When I started back in August, it did not seem very structured due to an overlap of people doing a similar role, and my college tutor leaving so there was more confusion around this matter. However, this was not particularly the fault of Grant Thornton and if anything, they have since dedicated an internal role of trainee management, meaning that everything is now super organised, and all dates are kept in diaries etc. This has also really helped, so there is somewhere to go if you are unsure of what week you need to book an exam for etc.

I would say that my training provider offers a reasonable amount of support through teaching strategies and helping you to understand the material. however, when you are then left to revise on your own you are able to contact your tutor yet the response can sometimes be delayed due to timings which can be slightly annoying. However, there is always someone on the end of the phone at Kaplan Bristol who would be happy to help if it was urgent - and this stands out to me as a training provider who does care, and wants to help you succeed.

The support from my employer has been really good. I feel like I am surrounded by people who care about me, and how well I am doing and I believe this is really important in terms of how comfortable you feel when doing your job. My people manager is always on hand to help if there is something that I need help with, and we have frequent meetings to catch-up with eachother and see what has happened since the last time. I feel like everyone I have came in contact with is welcoming, and this helps when you first start to settle in.

I do have to travel around 30 miles to and from the office (when I am working there), so this can be a bit of a nightmare as I am spending a lot of money on travel. However, I believe the salary is good and this goes up in line with performance so helps to motivate people more. We are also able to claim expenses which mean that most of the time you are getting more money than what you have spent (e.g. 45p p/mile for Petrol) which helps to balance this out. However, I still live at home and I think it would be a lot harder to cover this cost with the salary I am currently on.

We have an office charity that everyone is encouraged to get involve with, and there are also many social events that take place throughout the year, that are internal and also external (e.g. BADCASS). This allows you to get involved with something you might like to do and also meet new people frequently. This also means you can get the chance to meet people who are at a similar level to you, who work for a different firm - which is always good to network and build contacts up with. I think there could definitely be more frequent events outside of work, however this is understandably hard due to people's working schedules.

Yes

I would recommend Grant Thornton as I believe that it really has opened a door of opportunities for me that I did not think I was going to have as I did not attend university. There are many aspects where I am able to seize opportunities to help better myself or help out which I really enjoy. The Higher apprenticeship also allows a stepping stone to help you find your feet in an accountancy world that you may not thought you would have without a degree.

I would advise you to be yourself, they really are looking to see what you are like, and whether you would be appropriate for the job - they do not rely on how you look on paper. This is really important for them as they need people who will represent the company well, and are able to converse with clients well. The people are also really friendly, so whilst they may seem scary they are people at the end of the day so act like yourself and you are bound to do well.