Did you always plan to be a Tax Trainee?
Through the stress of my final year at university, I hadn’t
given much thought to what I was going to do with my life after
graduating. I temped for six months which gave me the freedom
to really think about what I wanted from my first 'proper' job.
What did you study at Durham university?
I studied History - it is a degree that you can do anything
with, but I had problems narrowing my choices. I decided that
finance was a good option because it opened so many doors, and the
professional qualifications available and experience gained are
widely regarded. A big factor was that I was sure I wanted to
carry on studying, but equally sure that I didn’t want to do so
living in a student hovel and eating cold baked beans any more - it
was time for a salary. I looked forward to the challenge of
trying to fit my study obligations around full-time employment, and
was particularly interested in gaining an insight into
business.
What area of Tax do you work in?
I work in the VAT team in the Bristol office…and the team is
quite small. This has worked to my advantage as I have been
exposed to interesting and complicated assignments from the very
beginning. At this stage of my career, all of my advice is
reviewed before it goes out to the client, which means I'm exposed
to difficult concepts but without the risk of making mistakes; it’s
a great way to learn.
Is all your work mathematical based?
Number work does represent a large part of my tax exams, however
there are also questions that require long written answers in the
form of advice letters or memos. For someone like me, whose
background is in an essay subject and for whom maths is not a
strength, it is comforting to know that being able to express
yourself through these skills is just as, if not more, important
for a VAT advisor.
What is your work-life balance like?
I work hard, but feel no pressure to put in extra hours unless I
want to. I have a lot of other interests to find time for outside
work, my twin loves being sport and travelling. My manager
has supported me by accommodating my leave requests. This
Summer I was crowned World Champion in a rally to race a tuktuk
2,000km across India, and in the process helped to raise over
£10,000 for charity.
What about a career highlight?
As a VAT advisor, I can work with any business, however,
there are certain sectors that you can have a real impact on
because they have interesting and complicated VAT issues.
These include schools, universities, charities, museums, Housing
Associations and hospitals. For me, it is a highlight to work in
the not-for-profit sector. Helping them save money is very
rewarding.
…And what does the future hold?
I'm too young to know what I want to do when I grow up, but it's
comforting to know that I've made a good start in a well respected
profession.