Auditor Review

Evaluating businesses and performing statutory audits over their accounts. This includes various activities such as planning the audit by completing walkthroughs of procedures, testing of controls and administrative tasks. We then perform the year end audit by testing the account balances and ensuring the client provides an accurate depiction of their accounts.

There is various external and internal training provided. External training is given to update our technical knowledge of accounting and prepares us for our professional exams. Internal training provides us with learning over various areas of our work such as coaching new trainees and learning how to perform more complex tasks.

The programme offers a competitive salary for people of my age and against other apprenticeships however this could be more reflective of the industry as it is lower than that of some people in financial roles within industry. The programme offers engaging work however sometimes the work life balance can be a struggle to maintain.

The programme is annualised in structure with progression at each year. This culminates in developing skills over 5 years alongside passing professional exams. The progression is matched by training that allows employees to feel confident in their progression and be able to move onto more complex areas and begin to lead jobs.

There is considerable support from the people I work with and they provide assistance with any issues be it to do with work or external issues. There is a good ethos on mental health as well as physical health with a support network setup in regards of this. There is also constant training and coaching to support development.

The materials provided are helpful however there have been mistakes in the past with certain areas such as not being notified of a syllabus change for an exam. This is a rarity though and was caused by odd circumstances so is not something to expect to happen. Some of the courses could benefit with being longer as some courses only offer a couple of days preparation prior to the exam.

The qualification builds upon technical knowledge relevant for the job role and helps develop understanding of complex accounting areas. Furthermore it is necessary to have the qualification or to be studying the qualification in order to be an auditor. Some exams are less relevant than others but all exams contribute to an overall understanding.

There is a social committee that plans events for everyone to attend including the annual Christmas Party. There is also an annual dinner for trainee employees to attend for all student accountants. Furthermore there are other committees to get involved with such as the CSR committee that deals with helping charities via many different ways including sponsored events like trekking the Sahara.

Yes

Good competitive pay for people in the age bracket who are looking to gain a qualification in accounting. There are multiple ways to develop yourself and multiple activities outside of work to get involved with. Overall the job offers multiple opportunities and is a good start for anyone looking to get into a career in accountancy/business.

Be yourself and look to making sure you are ready to study hard and responsibly for exams as well as being prepared for challenging and thought provoking work. Open yourself up to the challenges and let yourself look towards the opportunities offered by the job for your career and future.