Assistant Tax Advisor Review

I work in the global compliance and reporting team helping to complete computations and tax returns for companies. Currently I help out with submitting tax returns, getting involved with client proposals and mapping financial accounts. Alongside my role, I have been studying towards my CA ICAS exams as part of my apprenticeship.

I have developed my excel skills whilst learning to use new software such as OCT and Beehive. My accountancy knowledge has developed extensively since starting due to my studies at college.

I have enjoyed learning new skills and meeting lots of new people with a variety of skills and experiences. However, I have struggled with the extensive skills and knowledge required in my role that. I started in my office in November which is a busy period for my team, meaning that many members of the team haven't had the time to teach us the basics of my role and how to use the software appropriately. It has been a bit overwhelming trying to learn all this at once whilst trying to settle into a new team and get work done efficiently and effectively.

I liked how we went to college at the beginning of the programme so that we were able to solely focus on our exams. However I did find this very intense, especially as we were not permitted to take any annual leave during this time. I also found the time I joined my team quite difficult, as we entered into the office in a busy period, meaning the team does not have as much time to help us with work.

I have received support in terms of a buddy or counsellor however contact with these was limited whilst in college. I do believe there are people I could reach out to however if I was struggling.

I do provide good support towards qualifications. We are given study leave and resits, however I found juggling both revision and office work quite difficult and was required to take annual leave to revise for my exams which I don't think should have to be necessary.

I do think the qualifications have helped to broaden my accountancy knowledge but so far I am not sure how much they have helped within my role in my team. A lot of what I cover in my role has not been covered within the qualification yet, meaning that I can get quite overwhelmed within my role as to there being a lot I don't understand.

There are sports teams and I have attended networking events, including a ball, of students from different accounting firms within Birmingham. These have been really fun. My firm also has different networks for people with different interests, for example I am part of an art network where people share art work they have done and we get exclusive discounts to certain galleries.

Yes

I think the qualification we get is really useful and we are rewarded for the hard work we put in. I have also met some really good people and made friends which has been really enjoyable. I think I have learnt a lot in my role so far and have developed some skills which I will continue to develop in the future.

Be yourself! I struggled when looking for graduate schemes, thinking that I had to act a certain way, however found a job that was right for me when I answered questions honestly and made an effort to make friends within my team. Also I would advise people to figure out why they actually want to work in the position and not to just apply to a position as they are unsure what to do. EY want people who are passionate about what they do, not just someone who wants any job.