Why did you choose a career in accounting?

I originally chose law with the view of becoming a solicitor. However, during my time at university, I realised although I enjoyed my course, I didn’t have the passion that others had. I’m massively into football and started to develop an interest in the finances behind the sport. I realised that a career path in that direction would be perfect for me. Many finance directors and key people involved in the sport are all ACA qualified, which is why I chose the ACA qualification as a base for my future aspirations.

What made you choose UHY Hacker Young?

I had a friend who was in his second year of his ACA training and he said to me that a mid-tier firm is a great place to be if you want to be given responsibilities at an early stage. UHY also stood out to me as it placed itself highly as a firm that was large enough to provide the technical expertise of larger practices, yet personal enough to allow employees to retain close contact with clients.

Do you tend to work late into the evenings or a lot of weekends?

I’ve never had to work weekends, late evenings are sometimes required if there are tight deadlines, but I would say you’re never expected to work unreasonable hours. I find managers and seniors always understand if you have other commitments already made.

What is the atmosphere like at UHY Hacker Young?

Because each year group have about 7-8 students, the atmosphere in audit is very relaxed. Everyone is really good friends with each other, which makes asking for help from seniors a lot easier. We also have a staff football team which was a great way to socialise when I first joined.

What is the most challenging thing about your job?

I would say balancing work and your studies is always going to be the most challenging thing about an ACA training job. Finding time to study after work can be quite demanding and tiring sometimes, especially if you have had a busy day. However, you quickly get used to this balance and after the first couple of exams you come to know what is expected of you and how much work you need to put in, so the studying outside of work becomes more natural and less of a strain.

What do you hope to do when you have finished your qualification?

If I was to stay in practice I would like to move onto a position where I was more involved with audits and advising sporting entities to gain experience within this area. Otherwise, my ideal job would be to become part of a finance team at a football club, particularly my home team Plymouth Argyle!