What’s It Like to be a Trainee?
Henry Page
I joined Mercer & Hole in August 2005 on completion of an Accounting & Finance degree at Southampton University. I took up the graduate insolvency position in the London office and quickly started studying towards the ACCA qualification.
Despite being initially daunted by the prospect of ‘a proper job’ (as I’m sure most students are!) the other staff in the office really helped me to settle in and I quickly felt part of the team.
I was also given responsibility early on and now have a case load that is challenging and enables me to continue to develop my knowledge of Insolvency industry. As part of the London insolvency team I have been exposed to a broad spectrum of insolvency cases ranging from company liquidations to personal bankruptcies and have been able to see the case development from start to finish. I have found this very interesting and has given me a great foundation to build on as I continue to progress with my training.
The ACCA qualification has again been another demanding aspect to the graduate scheme but has allowed me to build on the knowledge gained during my degree and give me a strong accounting background which has often proved very useful. Several other members of staff have been through these professional examinations and have always been happy to answer any queries I may have and also understand the extra work load around exam time.
Mercer & Hole has provided me with a challenging role which has encompassed both professional and academic aspects and has been combined with helpful, friendly staff. I have gained a great platform from which I hope to advance my career in the insolvency industry by completing my ACCA qualification and studying to become a qualified Insolvency Practitioner. —Henry Page
Thomas Guthrie
I joined Mercer & Hole in September 2004 after graduating with a first class honours degree in Business Economics. I am currently working within the Insolvency department in the Milton Keynes office with the aim in the future of becoming a fully qualified Insolvency Practitioner.
I am still in the early stages of my graduate programme, however, I have already gained a wide range of skills and knowledge in areas such as accounting, audit and assurance, business finance and taxation. The training is intense and in order to ensure success, it requires a high level of discipline to do further studies out of working hours. The majority of staff that I work with have experienced the personal demands of professional exams and as a result are very supportive and helpful.
My role as Junior Insolvency Administrator requires me to deal with the day to day running of my allocated case load. Working within a medium size firm has given me the opportunity to work on a wide range of different insolvency situations. I have already been actively involved in company liquidations, individual bankruptcies and corporate turnarounds. This has allowed me to gain valuable knowledge of the different types of procedures that can be used.
The nature of the office layout in Milton Keynes allows you to communicate with other members of staff that work in the various departments, thus resulting in a good working environment.
Furthermore, with various opportunities to socialise with work colleagues out of office hours, I have already been able to gain many friends.
In my first year, Mercer & Hole has given me the time and opportunity to develop my insolvency knowledge. I feel that the friendly atmosphere within the office has allowed me to settle in well in Milton Keynes and I look forward to experiencing greater challenges in the future. —Thomas Guthrie
Andrew Brodrick
I joined Mercer & Hole’s London office as a trainee in the Private Client Tax department in July 2006. I graduated from York University in 2001 with a history degree and had spent the intervening years doing various jobs in the finance sector, as well as a bit of travelling. It had always been my intention to qualify in a profession and having looked at the options available, I decided to start a career in tax.
My friends and family didn’t quite understand why anyone, least of all me, would want to work in tax! But having done some research, it became clear tax is a varied, interesting and challenging career. What other profession can have its rules changed at the drop of a hat by one person every year? Whilst this might be viewed as a negative thing by lots of people (plenty of whom work in tax!), the idea of continuously having to learn appealed to me, as I find repetitive jobs frustrating.
The London office has a relaxed, supportive environment that is perfectly suited to the steep learning curve you face. You find yourself challenged daily and the work primarily involves supporting the Tax managers in ensuring our clients comply with their UK tax obligations. Mercer & Hole has a broad client base that ranges from retirees to high net worth individuals. It may be an exaggeration to say no two clients are alike, but it is the variety that keeps life interesting.
On the job learning is supported by day release at college with the professional training provider BPP. The first stage is the ATT qualification, followed by the more difficult CTA exams in order to become a Chartered Tax Adviser.
Why apply to Mercer & Hole? Experience at a medium sized accountancy firm is very different to working for the ‘Big Four’. I didn’t want to be just another number in a huge yearly graduate intake. I wanted to be a key member of a smaller team. You are not expected to do overtime and this is the reality, (rather than being part of the supposed mantra of a firm when in fact the opposite is true). Flexi-time has even been introduced, just another demonstration of the fact you really will have a work life balance, which is increasingly the exception if you want to work in the City.
If you want to work with a friendly, focussed, professional team and are willing to take responsibility from the outset, I have found that Mercer & Hole is the perfect place to begin a career in tax. —Andrew Brodrick
Frances Holmes
I joined Mercer and Hole in September 2006 as an audit trainee in the St Albans office. I read Mathematics at Warwick University until 2004 and then worked and travelled until I joined Mercer & Hole.
You start almost straight away at both college, work and out in the field, so before I knew it I had been here a few months. The work is always varied and you can sometimes be out of the office for weeks on end working out of different offices across various parts of the country. Jobs can be so different that you get a much broader experience early on than you might in other accountancy firms.
All jobs depend on a combination of factors: who you work with, what the work is like and what the company ethos is. The audit department in St Albans has a really friendly, supportive atmosphere; everyone has been through the same experiences as you at work so are really helpful and understanding. The social side of the department is also great; we go for lunch most weeks and are always willing to go for a few drinks after work.
The actual audit work is interesting as there are numerous types and sizes of companies that offer completely different audit experiences. And the company ethos is really helpful for trainees. The flexi time makes it easier to organise your life whether for exam revision or just socialising and around exam time the managers are really accommodating as everyone wants you to pass.
College is a nice alternative to office life you get to meet the trainees from our regional offices and trainees from other firms and the classes are quite relaxed. The teaching is really good and the revision courses before your exams are brilliant and geared to help you pass.
It gives me a massive sense of achievement knowing I’ve passed the professional stage. It’s hard work coming home from a full day’s work and then sitting down to revise and takes a lot of will power and determination but it’s a great feeling when you finally finish your exams. —Frances Holmes
Matthew Grundey
I joined Mercer & Hole in September 2007 after completing a law degree and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice. I decided to pursue a career in insolvency as it gave me a chance to combine accountancy with law.
Since day one I have been involved with real casework and soon took responsibility for my own caseload. Working as part of a small team means I have experienced a variety of insolvency processes including bankruptcies, liquidations and administrations. Exposure to such varied work has been challenging, but has improved my practical skills and has given me a greater understanding of the skill set required of an insolvency practitioner.
Within one month of joining Mercer & Hole I began studying towards the ACCA qualification, which is demanding, but necessary for future career progression. Everyone within the office understands the difficulties of balancing work with studying and are very supportive. Once you learn to manage your time effectively you find that studying doesn’t have to impact too much on your life outside work. I attend taught courses in London where the tutors understand the pressures of working and studying, and have tailored the courses to give you the best chance of passing the exams first time.
Mercer & Hole have provided me with a solid foundation to my insolvency career. I hope that the experience I have gained with Mercer & Hole together with completing the ACCA qualification will propel me further into the insolvency world. —Matthew Grundey
Denise Yau
I joined Mercer and Hole in June 2007, as a trainee in the Private Client Tax department of the London office. I graduated in 2006 with a degree in Accountancy from the University of Dundee, and spent the intervening year studying Japanese and French, as well as doing a bit of travelling. Having developed an interest in tax during my degree, I decided to embark on a career in tax as it not only combines my interest in numbers, finance and problem-solving, but is also a challenging career. Tax legislation is constantly evolving and continuous learning is required in order to keep up-to-date.
Working for a medium sized firm appealed to me because whilst I get exposure to Mercer & Hole’s diverse range of clients and gain a broad experience, I am still able to work in a close-knit environment where everyone knows each other (rather than being lost in a sea of other trainees).
From day one I was encouraged to take responsibility for my own work and I now have an interesting and challenging case allocation, which will no doubt allow me to build on and improve my technical ability. My role at this stage involves mainly tax compliance eg preparing tax returns, claims and elections, responding to client queries, liaising with HM Revenue and Customs and other professionals, preparing accounts, remittance tracing.
The first stage of the professional qualifications is the ATT, which acts as a stepping stone for the CTA. For both, day release college courses are provided, which are then followed by more intensive revision courses nearer the exam dates. The classes are very exam focused and the teaching is of a high standard. The tutors are very accessible, although it is reassuring to know that I could also refer to anyone in my department for help if needed.
The tax department in the office has a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Furthermore, embedded in the culture, is the emphasis on a healthy work/life balance. We are not expected to work overtime and the availability of flexi-time enables us to organise our lives more effectively. I find this work environment ideal, as it can be quite demanding to study for the exams whilst simultaneously juggling on-the-job training and personal commitments.
Having passed the ATT exams, I now have the CTA exams to look forward to, as well as any other challenges the future brings. —Denise Yau
Harriet Connon
I joined Mercer & Hole in September 2008 after graduating from Hull University with a joint honours degree in Music and German. I am currently working in the St Albans office in the audit department and studying to gain the ACA qualification.
Despite coming from an unusual background as a trained musician and linguist, I decided to apply for jobs which offered a professional qualification and a structured training scheme, in order to strengthen my career opportunities. Much to many of my friends amazement I discovered that the ACA qualification offered just that.
Training as an accountant, albeit a short period so far, has been an eye opening experience, not only do you gain technical knowledge, you learn how various businesses work. I am slowly understanding the numerous and interesting ways in which people make their living.
Studying and college start almost immediately after you join and although it is hard work and requires a lot of commitment, it is rewarding on results day when you pass exams. It is also a good way to meet other trainees from other firms and share the new experiences.
Audit work can be different from week to week as it offers a complete variety ensuring that you will never be stuck doing the same work all the time. The nature of the audit department in St Albans ensures that you have a complete support network, ranging from managers to senior trainees, so that you never feel out of your depth. The social side of the department also creates a great working atmosphere, we go for lunch most weeks and occasionally after work drinks. Its nice to know that other people have had the same experiences as you.
My first six months at Mercer & Hole have been hard work, but knowing what I have achieved in that time makes it worth while. The friendly and learning focussed atmosphere in the office has made my at Mercer & Hole a great place to work. —Harriet Connon
