Trainee Tax Advisor Review

I work in a team that looks after the corporation tax compliance of large international clients. This includes tax provisions, the annual corporate tax return and computation, advisory work relating to corporation tax and also the audit of tax. My role as a Level 1 is to support Level 2 staff (qualified tax advisors) and Managers with the compliance cycle for the clients I am working on.

I've definitely developed organisation skills and the ability to prioritise tasks, I'm often working on multiple different clients at the same time with competing deadlines so this an important skill that I've had to develop. I believe my ability to work in a team and to communicate has also improved since being at the firm. I've taken part in relevant internal technical training for tax, both in person and as web-based learning. I've also spent some time at Kaplan preparing for the ACA qualification that I am working towards as part of my apprenticeship.

I thoroughly enjoy work, I transitioned to the firm from the public sector and had some concerns about the culture but I've been proven wrong and I'm glad about this. The company has an extremely welcoming culture and aims to ensure that everyone feels like they belong, there is a huge emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness and there is an effort to try and include all members of staff in this discussion. I've had the opportunity to contribute to these discussions within my office. My team are also very welcoming and inclusive and I've had the opportunity to work across different clients which I'm grateful for.

The programme is very well structured, I received advanced notice of all my college dates and examinations in my first week. I also received advanced notice of all internal training that I was due to take part in, this allowed me to plan my diary effectively. I benefit from a good working relationship with my counsellor who is there to guide me through my journey in the organisation and is a good person to go to if I want advice or sign-posting to a more relevant party.

Since joining the organisation, I have been made aware of various sources of support and utilised these. These include my manager/counsellor, a buddy within the team and a wider peer support network of colleagues who are at the same level as me and as such facing similar work challenges. I've also been referred to outside bodies as a means of ascertaining any reasonable adjustments that the company can make to ensure I can be as successful as possible in the role.

There is a lot of support available from the training provider. Aside from the scheduled weeks at college, there have been monthly webinars relating to my exam, there is a designated email address for any queries we have which is manned for most of the year including holiday periods and there is a wealth of resources available on their online portal which includes videos and a plentiful amount of exam practice which means we have access to a repertoire of resources to ensure exam success.

Much of my technical knowledge so far has come from my initial week at college and other internal training. I feel that the knowledge i'm gaining is definitely applicable to my job role and I am able to utilise this in my role day-to-day. I have found that the technical training internally has been more beneficial than my accounting studies at work as the technical training is tailored towards my routine work activities whereas college is aimed at the curriculum for the professional qualification.

Yes, there are various opportunities to get involved with sports and other activities that are designed to supplement our day to day work. I have personally been involved in quite a few activities organised by the company's charity wing, the EY Foundation and have been able to facilitate workshops in schools focussed on employability skills. These are activities that I would've enjoyed whilst at school and it is a pleasure for me to be able to play my part in improving the life chances of other young people within the region.

Yes

EY genuinely cares about every employee and the company's culture is I think unrivalled across the sector. There are many opportunities within the organisation to learn and develop and I would strongly encourage anyone interested to look at a role at EY. The activities and work at EY is wide and varied so there is definitely a role for everyone.

Make sure you research the organisation including the organisational values and make sure these align with your personal values. Anybody can develop technical expertise but the thing that sets apart EY from other competitors is their emphasis on the people who work for the organisation and making sure their every need is met so that successful outcomes can be achieved.