Assistant Accountant Review

My role involves a variety of things, including but not limited to processing payroll, working on the analysis of the overheads for the company, improving the budgeting process for the next financial year and adhoc tasks set by the wider team. There is a lot of work with our finance system 3E and Microsoft Excel.

Yes - my ability to work with excel has improved further and I have learnt how to use the finance system 3E which is specific to law firms. Further skills are related to the job role itself - accountancy was new to me when I first started by job but I am gradually learning more and more about the profession (alongside my study).

I really enjoy my programme. It's great to have the opportunity to learn about your job in a formal manner so that you can really understand some of the processes that you are carrying out whilst also learning on the job. I'm lucky to work with a great team too.

The structure for my programme largely comes from the provider BPP. There have been a few slight issues during the pandemic but that is expected. On a normal day, the course is well organised and as long as you take responsibility for your own time, it is easy to manage.

My employer allows me to work at a 0.8 FTE, giving me an average of a day a week to focus on my apprenticeship and study. This is teamed with regular catch-ups with my line manager which allows me to update them on my progress and discuss any issues or plans for the future.

Outside of the normal training (actual course days), you are able to contact your tutor for that module via email with any questions you may have. All of the tutors have been really open to this - that is great! The materials provided are also a huge help when studying - especially the question booklet provided.

It gives me reassurance because I am learning the theory behind the work that I do on a daily basis and I am sure that in the future it will give me the opportunity to get involved in more complex tasks. It also gives you the opportunity to reflect on your skills and behaviours in the workplace to see where you can do better.

I haven't been involved with any extra-curricular activities recently (but this is largely due to the current climate and us all being stuck at home!). In the office there are a variety of activities that you can get involved with outside of your normal work. Our team organises social activities together and during COVID-19 we have been doing quite a few quizzes!

Yes

I have a great team and the opportunity to study and be given time to allow yourself to improve at your profession is great. DWF Law LLP has made me realise that Accountancy is definitely the right job for me and I have learnt so much since I started working there.

If you are applying for an Assistant Accountant position then make sure your Excel skills are as good as they can be (particularly pivot tables, vlookups and formulae) and that you familiarise yourself with company as a whole. DWF is a global company covering with many services to offer and understanding this will help you in your role.