Assistant accountant Review

On a day to day basis I have to prepare accounts for various companies. This involves working through the numbers that clients provide to us to make sure they are correct and query any that aren't, then using CCH prepare a set of standard accounts and include the right disclosures for these then to go to companies house to be filed

Yeah on a daily basis I work within my team and so have to interact with a lot of different people, I also have to contact clients and other departments such as tax and audit to be able to help me with queries and therefore by communication skills have also been developed. Time management has been key too as we have to prepare the accounts to the deadlines.

I think it is a very good programme where we are given enough time to go out and study our qualification but also time in the office to learn and develop and to be able to apply the knowledge we are learning at college in the workplace. I would say it is fairly balanced but it is tough studying at the same time as having a full time job.

It is quite well organised, we have set dates that we go to college and we are booked on jobs when we are in the office which is on a calendar and therefore we should always know what we are meant to be doing, however a few times the dates for study have been incorrect which is frustrating because we need to know when our exams are and how much time we have.

My employer is quite supportive, they are good with how much study leave we are given and want us to do well with our exams. However within the actual role we are expected to know a lot and haven't been given any formal training which makes it very difficult at the beginning to be able to do stuff.

Bpp are quite a good provider with the materials they provide us and the tutors are very helpful and always willing to help. However some modules are home study which is very difficult as you don't have anyone to ask questions to and they have been quite slow on getting back mock exams etc to us which is not helpful when its so close to the exam.

I do think that the qualification helps within the role as it helps you with the basics of accounting and then builds on your knowledge, however I wouldn't say that some of the stuff is relevant to the job but still beneficial to know and hopefully will come in use in the future.

Not so much in my team are there many social activities, however I joined within an intake of other graduates who are in audit and have become part of their group and so involved with all of their activities and recently joined their football and netball team. I have also partook in a lot of recruitment events going out to schools and talking to students about what its like doing a graduate scheme and just general help and advice on what they should do.

No

It depends on what they want to do, I think RSM as a whole is a good company and the scheme is very good that they offer. However, the role that I have within my department I don't enjoy but I think in other departments I would feel differently. So it would entirely depend on what they want to do.

I would just tell them to be themselves, be friendly and speak up but not overpowering, RSM looks for personalities and not just whats on a piece of paper as they have actually lowered the entry requirements now. Make sure you have knowledge of the company and what it does and the various departments and ask as many questions as you can, don't think of it as an interview of you whether you're right for the company think of it as whether the company is right for you.