Laura Rundle
I joined Mercer & Hole in September 2009 as a trainee in the Audit department in the Milton Keynes office.
I graduated from the University of East Anglia with an honours degree in History. Most of my friends expected my degree to lead me into a job working in a library or museum and were surprised to learn I was training to become an accountant. Although on the surface accountancy appears very different from history, there are a lot of skills that I use everyday in my work, accountancy is not all about numbers!
When I first started studying for my ACA exams I found it hard work, and often felt I struggled compared to my fellow classmates, most of whom had read accountancy or finance. However, after a lot of perseverance I have passed my first ten exams which has been very rewarding. Furthermore, the social element of college is an added bonus of studying for this qualification.
A year after being with Mercer & Hole I was asked to visit clients on my own to do some small audits and shortly afterwards I was leading my first audit team as a senior. This was daunting at first, but now I enjoy the responsibility that Mercer & Hole have given me. When I first started nearly a year and half ago, I would never have imagined being in the position that I’m in today. The thing I value most about working at Mercer & Hole is the diverse range of clients in different industries. I get a variation in work from small accounts preparation to monthly management accounts and audits. This has allowed me to develop a much broader range of knowledge than in a larger firm of accountants. I enjoy working in a small office environment where everyone is friendly and knows each other. I have also found the managers in the office very supportive during my studies, I highly recommend the Mercer & Hole graduate scheme.
Laura Rundle
