A day in the life of accountancy trainee ... Victoria Dent
Each year Warrener Stewart recruits a graduate trainee who will continue to progress their career in accountancy through an internship.
Recent employee, Victoria Dent shares her experience of working at the Fulham based accountants.
What degree did you study for?
Accounting and Finance at Oxford Brookes University
Has this helped you in your chosen career?
Yes, not only did it provide me with an understanding of what accountancy was but it also gave me an in-sight into what would be involved in becoming a Chartered Accountant.
What made you choose accountancy?
From a young age I have always run my own businesses and have had a keen interest in mathematics. Accountancy seemed like an obvious choice as I wanted to learn what was behind the numbers of successful businesses; something that once grasped would be invaluable in aiding the success of my own business.
What made you decide to start with Warrener Stewart?
I applied to join Warrener Stewart because they work with directly with business owners across a range of business sectors, from large estate agents to smaller retail clients. Working so closely with SME’s would afford me a unique insight into their business. Moreover, Warrener Stewart actively supported me whilst studying towards professional qualifications which was very important to me.
What is a typical day at Warrener Stewart for you?
Working within the audit team I assist audit managers in gathering evidence, performing tests and undertaking analysis of company information. At Warrener Stewart we spend a great deal of time interpreting a wide range of numbers to ensure we can offer the business owner the best possible advice that will continue the growth of their business. Alongside auditing, I also prepare financial statements and complete various ad hoc tasks in tax and other areas of accountancy.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Most definitely the professional relationships that we develop with clients; since few of our clients have a financial director they rely upon us for financial and business advice.
Equally, I enjoy the fact that I’m not solely based at our accountancy offices in Fulham, as an auditor I travel to different locations throughout London and the surrounding areas to conduct audits. Once an audit is finalised it is rewarding to receive positive feedback from the client that they are happy with the work undertaken and the way in which it was performed.
Can you outline your study/career path? What qualifications are you studying for and when will you qualify?
I am studying towards the ICAEW ACA exams to become a chartered accountant. This involves sitting numerous exams as well as completing three years’ worth of accountancy experience. When I joined Warrener Stewart in January 2015 I already had 5 exemptions for the certificate level ACA exams because of the modules I studied at University.
Whilst working at Warrener Stewart I have passed four professional exams with the intention of sitting three more this year. If I pass the exams this summer I shall be a part-qualified accountant, with a further three to pass before I am fully qualified. I hope that by January 2018 I will have completed all my exams and be fully qualified Chartered Accountant.
What would be your advice to anyone wanting to start a career as a chartered accountant?
I would recommend paying attention to what is happening in the world of finance; employers are looking for candidates who are strong with numbers and have a commercial awareness. I would recommend looking at the financial statements for your favourite retail company or football team, read them and think about what those numbers are telling you about the entity’s performance.