Jacob Joinson

What inspired you to pursue a career in accountancy?

When deciding on a degree to study at university, I didn’t have a particular plan for my future career. I went to Swansea University and studied Business and Economics. During my degree, my initial introduction to accountancy was via a couple of modules covered in the first year. At the time, I expected I would pursue a career in economics, but after three years of studying, I realised it was not something I was interested in doing!

I had a maths background so started looking into career options in accountancy and the ACA (Associate Chartered Accountant) qualification stood out as an attractive one that seemed to open doors into lots of different sectors.

What was the graduate assessment process like?

I had been to a couple of interviews and graduate assessment days before the process with SRLV, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, the process from my telephone interview to the graduate assessment day moved quickly. One of the key differences to my other experiences was that everyone at SRLV seemed a lot friendlier and more approachable. Before the assessment day, I’d only visited London a couple of times so the way everyone put me at ease as soon as I arrived, made it a more comfortable experience.

I remember as part of my assessment day, I was asked to deliver a presentation about something I was passionate about. The day also included a team building ‘rescue’ exercise, a general knowledge quiz, and a game of ‘truth or lie,’ plus meeting the audit team over lunch. I remember asking the staff as many questions as I could!

What advantages are there to training at a mid-tier firm, like SRLV?

SRLV is a very friendly place to work and cares about its trainees. A good example is their approach to exams – if someone happens to fail an exam, the team is supportive and recognises that everyone can have a bad day. They are interested in where it went wrong and what they can do to help for next time. Whilst I don’t have experience of working at a larger firm, I do know they can take a different stance on exam policies, with less supportive consequences if trainees were to fail an exam.

Compared to training at a larger firm, I do think graduates here have great opportunities to gain a broad cross section of experience from an earlier stage. Also, if you are interested in a certain area, you can talk to your manager and if it is appropriate for your level and workload, they will do their best to make room for this. There’s always lots to learn and an interesting client base to be involved in, alongside studying for your ACA. The size of the team here is ideal, as it means there is always someone around who can coach and support you – be it a fellow trainee or manager within the team.

What is the workload like when you’re studying for the ACA?

The role offers a good balance of ‘on the job’ learning and studying. The workload is manageable and, as a trainee, it never felt like I was overloaded with tasks or responsibilities. On joining, graduates spend a lot of time at college between September and December to cover the fundamentals to the ACA qualification and sit the initial exams. At work, graduates are introduced gradually to different areas of audit, and you find that the initial understanding gained at college helps when it comes to actual client audit work.

How much time did you spend at college and how did it compare with university?

My training contract started at the end of August and as mentioned, I initially spent a lot of time at college with the other SRLV graduates preparing for the first set of exams. Trainees spend roughly 50% of their time at college during the first three to four months.

There are 20-30 trainees in a class at college – they are a good size but small enough so you don’t just feel like a number. You get to know the tutors well and they are always available for questions, making the overall quality of the teaching better and more engaging as a result.

Can graduate trainees work from home?

Graduates are required to be in the office during their initial probation period and the main reason for this is that it is much easier to train and support new staff in the office. Personally, I found that working in the office and having in-person coaching made learning easier and more satisfying. It was also a great way to meet more people in the firm, both in audit and other teams. After the probation period when trainees have built up an understanding of the role and work requirements, they fall into the firm’s hybrid system of three days in the office, two days at home. Of course, if you prefer working in the office, you can come in more than the three-day minimum!

What’s the client work like for trainees and do you have any tips for those keen to progress?

To begin with (college aside), graduates are taught the foundations at work and initially, this comes in the form of completing the lower risk sections of an audit. Over the first two years, trainees gradually gain exposure to different areas of audit fieldwork to build their understanding, and they also work on preparing accounts for our clients. In the third year, trainees usually start by leading their own jobs, which includes being exposed to the planning and completion areas of an audit. Our client base covers a number of different industries which makes for a more varied and interesting experience. Industries include music, media, entertainment, retail and restaurant & hospitality businesses.

Firstly, as a trainee, my tip would be to ask as many questions as possible so that you can develop and understand the work you are doing. Then, to really progress, you need to show you are someone who wants to take responsibility for their work and is willing to learn. That way, you will become a trusted pair of hands and it’s more likely that you will be assigned with new areas of an audit earlier.