Trainee Associate 2 Review

I work in the corporate tax team giving advice to a range of businesses, helping them make decisions and pay the right amount of tax. I work with a range of managers from the team on different projects. As I don't have many technical skills yet a lot of the work is quite basic, things like editing reports, researching or internal administrative tasks. However, even with these small tasks I still learn about the wider picture and gain more knowledge and insight into the work.

My organisation and communication skills have improved a lot over the course of the programme. I have attended internal training to learn technical skills in accounting and tax. I have been studying for my ATT exams which are part of a 2 year course which has developed my knowledge of tax. There are also training courses based on other soft skills like leadership.

I enjoy the day to day life in the office. I have lots of friends in my team and in other teams which is always good. It is interesting learning about the clients we work with as they come from a wide range of industries and backgrounds. The culture really encourages you to seek out work that interest you and to speak to different people to get involved. Working full time and studying at the same time isn't exactly fun but it's well worth it in the long term.

In terms of the immediate team I feel valued and have some good relationships with some of the managers and higher up. You do get a degree of trust, for example with flexible hours and working from home occasionally. However, with such a large company, I am well aware that I am a very small piece of it and I am the lowest grade so I don't feel very valuable overall.

The programme is well structured. The professional exams are over 2 years and internal training is consistent over the 2 years as well. The team hierarchy is quite strange at first because there is no set manager directly above you. Instead, managers delegate work based on individual tasks or clients so work levels can vary and it takes a while to get used to if you've not been in this kind of workplace before. This settles down the further you get in to the programme as you may get more consistent clients and work but the advantage is that it means you get a wide range of exposure early on. I'm always aware of what's going on as I regularly receive emails relating to qualifications and everyone uses their calendars to stay organised which other people in the team can view.

The tutors from the training provider (Kaplan) are available whenever I need to ask questions and also we are all assigned a 'talent coach' who helps us through the programme. There are lots of online resources such as study guides and lecture videos. In class I found the tutors helpful and knowledgeable, answering any questions I have and explaining things well. I have had no issues so far.

We all have a 'people manager' who helps us with personal development and career progression and a 'buddy' who is someone in the year above doing the same programme as you who you can ask about any questions you might have. I also receive a lot of support from my peer group and people who joined a year or two before me, there is a strong group where everyone helps each other.

The salary is reasonable considering I joined straight from college, I couldn't realistically expect much more. I could afford to move out to central Manchester and rent a house or flat share with a small amount left to save if I chose to. The salary increases each year and I'm much better off than I would've been if I chose to go to university instead. There are also loans available for a train season ticket which is very useful if you are commuting every day.

There are lots of social events, volunteering activities etc. and there is also a strong encouragement to organise your own things. I play 5 a side football every 2 weeks which is a good way to get to know people in the wider team and build relationships. Informal and formal socials are very regular, not just at the start but throughout the time here and people of all levels mix.

Yes

It's a nice place to work and it's a great starting point for a successful career in the the future. You can progress up further in your role or you have a lot of opportunities to move to different teams or locations within the firm, it all depends on what you're interested in and what you decide to pursue. As long as you are prepared to put in the work for your exams you have a a great opportunity here and will most likely have an enjoyable time.

Make sure you have an interest in business, an interest in the news and global events and an awareness of the economic and political environment. The interviewers aren't looking for a certain type of person, there are a wide range of different people here with different skills. They most importantly want someone who is enthusiastic and good to work with. Take any work experience opportunities you can as these will give you something to talk about in the interview.