Compilations - Associate Review

On a daily basis my job involved a heavy use of excel, this would be used to analyse a clients trial balance into different sections including assets, liabilities, equity, and profit/loss items. From this I would use different tabs in excel to further breakdown the balances and show what has caused the movements in the year. As I worked with small and micro entities (not audited) it meant that I wasn't required to go on site and manually verify stock or assets. This excel workbook will then be used to support me to create/write up financial statements which will be published on companies house. Whilst this is the outline of my day to day job there is also a large amount of admin which goes into this, such as organising time for my work to be reviewed by managers, partners and clients as well as time in which these reviews are to be cleared. Furthermore my daily job would often include getting in contact with clients to discuss balances in their accounts to get a better understanding of what trading they have completed in the year.

During my placement I was given a large amount of responsibility, including in some cases having my own clients for which I am responsible for co-ordinating, speaking to clients and establishing a relationships. Additionally I have had the responsibility of organising in person client meetings and leading certain sections of the meetings which has supported me to feel trusted within the organisation. Despite this large responsibility I always had support from someone else in the team when It was needed or at times where I felt overwhelmed.

When beginning my placement at GT it quickly became apparent that during university I had been learning textbook accounting rather than real world accounting. Over my year I have developed a wide range of accounting acumen and been able to apply my knowledge to real life scenarios which has been fundamental to developing my accounting skills. Additionally through working with credits and debits on a daily basis I have been able to significantly strengthen my basic understanding of accounting. Furthermore my placement has been imperative to developing my software skills through constant use of software including excel, xero, and Caseware which are all heavily used in the accounting world. Finally from having daily communications with clients and other people in the organisation I have been able to develop my soft skills allowing me to more confidently speak to a wide range of people and adapt my style depending on the person.

During my placement I received a heavy amount of support from all the team. GT make a real emphasis to stress the importance of asking questions and asking for support. As such I always felt confident enough to ask someone in my team for support when I became stuck. This was important as it meant I could always have a go at solving something independently and then when needed having someone to push me in the direction. The support was also important as you are encouraged to take on a large amount of responsibility so knowing you have someone to help out when you are uncertain takes a weight of the shoulders.

The company aims to create an inclusive culture which appreciates different back grounds and ways of thinking. This is done through a range of events such as cultural celebration days. Furthermore GT aim to host a range of office wide socials and team specific socials which means there is always opportunities to meet people outside of the work environment. I found this key as it meant you get to know lots of people in your office making it a friendly environment.

The large amount of responsibility in my placement helped to make it significantly more enjoyable. This is because it meant that I was always busy and occupied which helped to make the time fly by. Additionally having such a friendly team in the Liverpool UKAS team really helped to make the work more enjoyable as you are able to work alongside your friends rather than your colleagues. As much as a 9-5 job was a shock to the system and reduces the freedom you find in University, GT offers a very flexible approach in which you can flex your hours around your own personal timetable thereby making the year that much more enjoyable

Yes