Date
07 Feb 2022Category
On National Apprenticeship Week, Gracie Kemp tells us her story on life as an apprentice at Azets.
I started at Azets over two years ago after finishing my A-levels and enjoying my last summer as a student. In that time, I’ve had one promotion, taken eight exams, made friends for life and learnt a vast amount about the accounting world.
What is your role at Azets?
My role has changed over the past few years. I started off doing a variety of small technical tasks and learnt my way around new systems and also had the chance to meet clients face to face. My job in the Accounts & Business Advisory Department involves preparing year-end accounts, management accounts, VAT returns and tax returns to name a few! Whilst I’m now up to scratch with these processes, my first week was exciting and challenging as I had to learn how to use new software, terminology and who my team were.
What is the work culture like at Azets?
Integrating into the team wasn’t hard as Azets’ recent graduate and school leaver recruitment drive meant there were plenty of people my own age to mix with, which was a fear of mine when I started. My big worry was “will I make friends?” “will I fit in?” At Azets, you make friends for life. Whilst we work hard, we try and have fun too!
What benefits do you get whilst working at Azets?
There are some great benefits of working at Azets including: good holiday allowance, paid sick days, and a competitive salary. Most importantly, my team are supportive and want me to succeed.
Taking the apprenticeship route was the only option for me, but I think it gave me an advantage over my peers who took the university route. You’re able to learn on the job and this contributes to 90% of your knowledge and therefore starting as early as possible allows you to grow and develop quicker than those that would start from a graduate level. I understand some people look to go to University for the experience, however, the culture at Azets allows for the social and hybrid working aspects, and this route just suited me better. We are constantly arranging social events within the office and recently I planned a trainee team building day with food and drinks provided afterwards. We’ve certainly moved away from the “Typical Accountant” stereotype! This route does come with it’s challenges though, and you have to be prepared to work hard.
What advice would you give someone who wants to do an apprenticeship?
One piece of advice I would give is be prepared for your exams! I’ve received amazing support from my team including my peers and managers and there is nothing like the sense of achievement you feel after each exam. In the end, it’s rewarding and worth it.
Overall, an apprenticeship allows you to learn and progress much faster whilst earning money. At Azets, there has been many positive changes. It’s a great place to work with great people, and being a top 10 accountancy firm shows it’s one of the best in the country.
Want to find out more?
At Azets, we are committed to offering development opportunities to all of our staff. Whether you’re seeking an apprenticeship as a school leaver, graduate or simply looking for a career change. We offer trainee routes in audit, tax, forensics or corporate finance and have developed a first-class training and development programme to support you. Find all of our current opportunities here, and learn more about our application and recruitment processes and professional qualification pathways here.
