Apprentice Finance Operations Assistant Review

My daily duties are based around email that come into an inbox which deals with fee notes. I receive various requests including ones that ask me to split fees, upload fees onto our system and deal with counsel chambers regarding any other outstanding requests. As a consequence, I liaise with other members of staff and external stakeholders to deal with queries.

I have developed a lot of skills regarding bookkeeping transactions. When I first entered this role, I had no knowledge of any notions dealing with purchase ledger, but now I am aware of books of prime entry, how to handle petty cash and balancing off accounts. This role has strengthened my capabilities in maths and English as a result.

On the whole, I have found the experience so far to be enjoyable. I am supported by many members of staff who I can turn to if I have any queries. That said, initially I did find that the work/study balance was currently off as I had to complete most of my learning during my own free time. This did change however and now I have been excelling in my exams.

My programme is really well structured. I have had the opportunity to be part of a variety of different teams within my finance department and through this I have learnt skills not only in finance but in IT software as well such as Microsoft Excel. The rotations around departments happen every few months so I've been able to learn different aspects of the work completed by many teams within the company.

I receive a strong amount of support from my employer. I have recently gone through a difficult period with my mental health and all of my team and the company were extremely supportive and I was never in any fear of how things would be when I returned to work.

The training provider hosts online sessions for the exams that I sit for my qualification. I also have regular meetings with my coach to discuss my progress and talk about my portfolio. In this sense I do feel well supported by them and the online materials given to me have allowed me to succeed in my role.

The qualification has allowed me to greatly improve my working knowledge of financial processes. In this regard, it makes the tasks I complete at work make a lot more sense. Additionally, I sat a module relating to Excel. This has helped me greatly as I now feel confident using this software package

There are a few but not all of them appeal to me. There are online events for learning more about the business or that I arise in relation to days of celebration. In terms of social or sports activities there isn't much in that way to my knowledge. I do wish that this existed though.

Yes

Irwin Mitchell is a caring environment where you are treated as a human being and not as a robotic working machine. This human touch has made me want to work for the company for a long time. All of the staff I have met have been so lovely and have been very supportive of me throughout the apprenticeship.

I would advise people to research the company before applying. By doing this you can learn about all the great work that the business does and how it takes social corporate responsibility seriously. Mention the things you admire about the business and how they fit into your core beliefs during your interview!