Richard Burrowes

How did you join SRLV?

I came to SRLV straight from college on a temporary six-month contract but was offered a permanent contract after three months. Although the AAT qualification was my ‘foot in the door’, at 21 I was still quite young and needed some experience to help me decide what I wanted to do as a career.

What did you like most about the work?

I was lucky to start in the music & entertainment team, working in an industry that I love. It wasn’t a typical business finance job; I knew of the music artists and celebrities I was working with, which made it interesting, and I’ve stayed in the industry ever since.

What motivated you and what was your early career path like?

In my first year, I found an error in one of the client accounts which hadn’t been spotted by the graduates I was working with. It proved to me and my managers that I was capable in the job, despite being more junior.

It was an important moment and the springboard I needed to take accountancy as a career seriously. After that, accountancy became a job that I started to see myself in; I was motivated to push harder and develop in the role.

The confidence I’d shown in coming forward to the managers helped to build trust and confidence with my team. As a result, I was given more responsibility and promoted to Junior. After four years, I’d been promoted to a Semi-Senior.

Why did you leave SRLV?

I’d always wanted to study tailoring and felt like it was time for a change. I left SRLV to start a part-time tailoring course and got a job in royalties with another firm, working two days a week while I was studying.

What experience did you gain?

I was working in royalty accounting, producing reports, so I got to see another aspect of the business, which was useful experience. The work was also easier to fit around my course day-to-day. Business management and tour accounting can be very busy and the work comes thick and fast!

Although I decided not to pursue tailoring as a career, it was rewarding to do something creative and to achieve the dream of training; it’s still something I enjoy doing in my spare time.

After SRLV, how easy was it to get work?

A lot of work in the music & entertainment industry focuses on building relationships and the networks you create help your career too. After finishing my tailoring course, I was offered a job by an FD in the finance department of a music broadcasting company.

By working in industry, I got to understand a completely different side of the business, what it’s like to be within an organisation and the priorities that drive decisions. I did miss the variety that comes with consultancy though, when you’re working for multiple different clients.