Andy 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.
