Hands up who is interested in a recession proof career!? Okay, we’ll admit it, a career in Corporate Recovery & Insolvency (CR&I) is perhaps not everyone’s first choice. However, it is still one of the highest regarded routes for finance professionals and many people actually fall into an Insolvency career after studying Law, History or English. 

You would be working towards your ACCA qualification on a 3 year training contract,  you won’t be worked into the ground, you will have a life, get client exposure from the off, dress down every day and a beer/wine fridge cracked open every Friday afternoon. . . .you did read that right.  

You would be joining a lively Corporate Recovery & Insolvency team, working alongside 3 other Trainees at different stages of their ACCA studies, working together supporting Senior Insolvency Administrators, Insolvency Practitioners and Partners. 

The CR&I world is made up of many professionals with an aptitude for both accountancy and an ability to understand the complexities of law, but who also have strong skills in client facing tasks with an emphasis on advising. 

Picture this: You would be spending 3 years applying what you are learning through top end technical training providers, getting all the support you need sitting exams and gaining bundles of experience. Although your main focus will be learning the role within CR&I you will also spend a few months learning about the other areas of accountancy too.  

At the end of those successful 3 years your salary would have pretty much doubled, you will be qualified and keen to continue studying to become an Insolvency Practitioner. 

During your training contract you would have the support of Angie, our Learning & Development Advisor who will work with you to produce a bespoke career development plan. 

 You would certainly feel looked after and part of the team, with a tonne of social and sports clubs to get involved in, from charity fundraising events, football, netball and rounders to the ‘CBW winos’ (a well organised wine tasting club!) 

In a nutshell

Insolvency involves preparing basic accounts, together with reviewing the records of the businesses and individuals you are advising; each day is made up of different amounts of accountancy and advisory work. The variety of day-to-day work keeps the role interesting.  

Also, one big favourable point to this profession is that if you manage to turn around a failing business or get an insolvent individual back on track, it can be extremely rewarding. 

This opportunity tends to suit a Law, History or English Literature Graduate as a large element of working in CR&I is looking into the finer detail and writing clear and concise findings/reports. 

Early on in your role you will be involved in the whole process from pre-appointment work through to closing cases (Administrations, CVLs, MVLs and Bankruptcy cases), your team work quickly and close quickly, the work is fast paced and exciting! 

As a graduate signing up for 3 years, what do you really want to know? 

• Hours: Monday to Friday, 35 hour week, flexi time (yes really, we put a big emphasis on work life balance, enabling you to recharge your batteries) 
• Who are we? – Top 50, City based full-service accountancy firm with 20 Partners and 165 staff  
• What is life like at CBW? Check out the social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn) by searching ‘Carter Backer Winter’.  
• COVID-19 – Find out how we supported our teams during lockdown and how we are supporting our teams moving forward within the FAQs section on our careers page.  

Interested?

Whilst we appreciate it’s a graduate training contract and your experience is going to be limited, there are a few things that we do need you to have:  

• 280 UCAS points and have or are expecting to achieve a 2.1 degree or higher. For the record we are totally open on degree subject, it doesn’t have to be finance or accountancy related. 
• Strong IT skills – with the numerous cloud offerings available, it goes without saying you will need to be comfortable working with different software (we use IPS and Virtual Cabinet in our CR&I team). Obvious other systems are Word, Excel and Outlook. 
• Excellent attention to detail – Bit of a no brainer, but pretty essential when working with large quantities of data and looking at important numbers. 
• Managing your own time and working successfully to deadlines – CR&I is fast paced and deadline driven. 
• Excellent communication skills, this applies to team members, colleagues and clients, also the ability to listen and follow instructions is going to form a crucial part of your training and development. 
•  An understanding of what is expected from you on an ACCA training contract – if you don’t know… google it, check out the ACCA website and understand what you are signing up for. If you haven’t thought of a career within CR&I before also look at Joint Insolvency Examinations Board (JIEB). 

 What now? 

• Select apply now to be taken to our website and an online application form (CV also required) 
• The closing date for applications is 12pm on Friday 21^stAugust 2020  
• You can get more information on the full process and key dates by visiting the Graduate Vacancies page on our website 

 Everyone who applies will receive a response with the outcome of their application.