Two great opportunities to find your niche in accountancy
Are you looking for a placement or graduate scheme that will help you become a chartered accountant? Trainee Bryn Luffman explains how he has benefited from the support of Page Kirk in Nottingham.
As I write this on a Monday evening, we are heading into a national lockdown once again. It really has been a tough 2020 for us all, and 2021 hasn't exactly got off to the best start. But if there has been one positive throughout the recent times, it has been working for Page Kirk. They have kept me busy and positive throughout the whole of 2020 and I'm sure this will carry on for 2021 too. I have had the pleasure of completing a placement scheme with the firm and now that I am on a graduate scheme with them as well, I thought I'd share with you why the schemes have been so great.
Help from the outset on your placement
For many (including myself), this is your first real experience of a 9-5 job. The team at Page Kirk are extremely helpful right from the off, making it an easy environment to go into. They give you the opportunities to dip your toes in the water with tax, limited company accounts, sole trader accounts and audit. This really gives you an idea of which aspect of accountancy you would enjoy the most and where you might want to take your career. You don't get the chance to do that at many places, but Page Kirk wants you to try them all out.
As well as work, there are great social events in your placement year. I went to the NCASS ball, the NCASS boat party, Christmas Party and summer event to name a few, which were all great fun! At the end of your placement, I was very lucky to be offered the chance to take on a graduate scheme after I had finished my degree. This is something Page Kirk have done many times in the past, making the scheme just that extra bit better!
The pace of the graduate scheme
I am now half way through my three-year graduate scheme and it has absolutely flown by! I was slightly concerned that when I finished my accounting and finance degree, I would struggle to get going again in the workplace, but just like the placement scheme, Page Kirk bring you back in at a great pace, so you felt like you've never left!
The firm has allowed me to work on different types of businesses, meaning every day is different to the last!
Alongside your work on the graduate scheme, you will of course be taking exams as part of your ACA qualification. It can be quite a challenge to balance your work and exam revision, but the beauty of it is you can apply the exam knowledge to help you in real-life accountancy situations, further improving your development. I have four exams left to go on my qualification! If, like me, you have an accounting and finance degree, you can even apply for up to seven exemptions, meaning you may only have to do eight exams instead of 15! This has been a real bonus for me.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Page Kirk so far and can't wait for the next set of challenges and experiences it brings me! In the wider world, the year may be off to a rocky start, but I think it is important to keep yourself busy. If you are looking for accountancy work, I could not recommend applying to either scheme enough!
Applications for our placement scheme close on Sunday 31 January and our graduate scheme closes Sunday 14 March. Click here to find out more information and how to apply.