Rachel joined THR as a trainee after graduating in Accounting and Finance from Leeds University.
"When it came to choosing my A-Level subjects it was important for me to choose subjects I could use in my future career but that I also enjoyed. Having an existing interest for business and a strong liking for mathematics, I decided to study, amongst others, accounting.
I decided to go to the University of Leeds to study Accounting and Finance. This isn’t necessary to become a chartered accountant but at the time I thought it would be a disadvantage not to have a degree, when so many other young people are encouraged to go to university. However, not going to university and perhaps studying for the AAT qualification would have allowed me to gain experience whilst studying. The educational path chosen certainly depends on individual preferences and opportunities available.
My choice for studying for the ACA qualification was confirmed by talking to university professors, leading employers at careers fairs and friends. It was easy to see that ACA is a highly regarded qualification which can lead to many careers in the business world other than purely accounting.
During studying for my degree, it was easy to recognise that the employment market for graduates was very competitive. I decided that to make my degree more valuable I needed to gain some work experience. I contacted several accountancy firms in the Preston area and THR offered me the summer placement I was looking for. This resulted in an offer from THR to return after my graduation under a training contract.
I am currently at the beginning of the professional stage of the ACA qualification. I have been attending college and so far it is going very well, but only my exam results will tell!
There are always team members at different levels of their training contracts, which provides a friendly communication network where colleagues can offer support and advice, which is particularly helpful when preparing for exams that they have already sat.
Working at THR offers the opportunity to gain a wide variety of experience. The size of the practice allows you to see a job from the beginning through to the end, which is less likely at a larger practice where one would more probably be working in a specific area of the practice.
My advice to anyone considering a career in accounting is to do your research thoroughly regarding which path to take. Although career fairs and websites are useful when researching into potential employers, they generally focus on the larger firms. It is important to remember that medium sized and smaller firms may offer equally as good opportunities with a more well rounded training programme."