Our people are our strength. We are a partner-led business with a strong belief in teamwork.
If you are considering a career with haysmacintyre, please read our graduate profiles to gain an insight into the variety of work you could be involved in.
If you have the ability and application, we can provide everything the successful candidate requires to qualify for a future career with haysmacintyre. If you are looking for a demanding career in a friendly environment apply now
Year 1 Trainee
why I chose accountancy?
I chose accountancy as a career primarily because it can offer training in a professional qualification (ACA) whilst gaining valuable work experience. In accountancy, you are constantly exposed to different industries and environments on a weekly basis allowing one to develop a variety of skills. There is also an opportunity to gain business-wide experience of organisations and the manner in which they operate. I felt, therefore, that a career in accountancy would act as a good foundation to further my knowledge.
why I chose haysmacintyre?
I chose haysmacintyre for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I was more inclined to work for a medium-sized company so that I could experience the ‘best of both worlds’ in the sense of a wide range of clients and that the firm has a friendly environment. From my interview process, I felt the firm to be professional and with the expertise to nurture my development through my training contract as well as maintaining a friendly atmosphere. I have not been disappointed!
roles/responsibilities/ what do you actually do?
Being an audit trainee involves a steep learning curve. You are given responsibility early on, being sent out on audit. It may seem daunting at first, however it is the perfect opportunity to gain ‘hand-on experience’. Audits are usually carried out at the client’s premises, normally working in a team of two, consisting of a year 1 and year 3 trainee. This usually involves liaison with the client’s finance department. My current roles as a year 1 trainee requires completion of certain sections of the audit with more responsibility given as experience is gained. Jobs vary from week to week meaning a greater exposure to various industries, clients and locations.
what skills do you need to make a success of what you do?
There are a variety of skills that are needed for an accountant. These include a good numerical understanding, an analytical mind as well as good communication and organisational skills. Such skills, however, are always enhanced through gaining experience and understanding of the roles carried out. A background of accounting is not essential as college teaching is based on no prior knowledge.
what's the best piece of advice for people coming into this sector?
Firstly consider the reasons why you believe a career in accounting is right for you. The ACA qualification is not to be underestimated as it is tough to manage revision alongside work. Upon qualification, however, it reaps many benefits providing unlimited opportunities and is regarded as a prestigious achievement. It is also important to choose the right firm for you since the next three years will be spent training there.
Year 2 Trainee
why you chose accountancy?
Having studied finance and areas of accountancy at university, I felt that a job in accountancy was a natural progression from my degree. I have always been comfortable in using numbers and thought accountancy would enable me to gain an understanding of their importance to companies. Also this career path enables me to study for the ACA, further adding to my university education and specialisation within accountancy. The qualification was an important part in my choice of profession as it gives the potential to move in a variety of different jobs in the future.
why you chose haysmacintyre?
The main attraction of haysmacintyre was the varying client base giving the potential for me to obtain skills in numerous areas. haysmacintyre clients are in both corporate and charity sectors but the areas I was most interested in were the sports governing body and school clients. I was always looking to join a mid-tier firm and with its single office location I believed haysmacintyre would be a perfect choice as I would be working around other graduates and getting to know most, if not all, of the people within the firm. Also, in working for a mid-tier firm, you feel a greater sense of involvement in the firm and a valued member of the team.
roles/responsibilities/ what do you actually do?
The main focus of my job is assisting with the completion of audits and preparing accounts for our clients. I have the necessary experience to complete the audits or accounts for smaller clients and can assist an audit team on larger clients. The job allows us to see a variety of clients and therefore the work changes depending on the type of client and their level of annual activity.
When you begin your career at haysmacintyre, you start at the audit trainee level 1 where you often go to clients’ sites and assist with the audit fieldwork, led by an audit trainee level 3. They will assign you work when you first begin, but as time goes on, your confidence and understanding grows giving rise to greater responsibility until you begin to lead audits yourself
what skills do you need to make a success of what you do?
As the job is highly client based, people skills are a necessity as you need to be able to communicate well with both your audit team and client. It is also important to have the ability to work to deadlines as jobs can change on a week-to-week basis sometimes leaving tight time restraints on completing a given job. Dedication and taking ownership for work is also a key requirement. In being assigned work, the preparer needs to be responsible for this and ensure that the work is completed to the appropriate standards when handing over to a manager.
what's the best piece of advice for people coming into this sector?
I think it is important for those looking to enter the sector to be focused and have a clear understanding of the goals they are looking to achieve. There are times, especially during long spells at college, where the qualification can seem a long way off, but people need to persist with the work to obtain the rewards at the end. In working for such a client-orientated company, the work can be diverse and rewarding so it is important for people to remain flexible and be prepared to take on new challenges.
Year 3 Trainee
why you chose accountancy?
I have always enjoyed working with numbers, so accountancy seemed a logical profession for me after university. I also liked the prospect of further study past university which the ACA offered me and will open up my futures career opportunities. The study is intellectually demanding although interesting and is corroborated by the work experience gained whilst on audit. This gives a good insight into the operations of wide-ranging types of businesses and how it stands within the industry as a whole.
why you chose haysmacintyre?
I chose haysmacintyre as the diversity of clients appealed to me, especially the charities and schools. Also, as haysmacintyre is a medium-sized firm, it has a very friendly atmosphere and everyone knows one another, which can allow you to develop further over the time of the training contract. The convenient location of our offices is an additional bonus!
roles/responsibilities/ what do you actually do?
I am an audit senior and have been at haysmacintyre for almost three years. I completed all my exams and am about to work in Melbourne for six months as part of a secondment with haysmacintyre. My roles and responsibilities have been very wide-ranging. We work amongst different teams each week, with anything up to four people working on a client. I have worked on a variety of challenging jobs; from large manufacturing companies to charities to schools and clubs.
As an auditor, we carry out in-depth investigations of a business in order to form an opinion on whether the company’s accounts are ‘true and fair’. This means identifying the major areas of risk inherent in the business, which calls for a high degree of judgment and an in-depth understanding of the client and its industry.
what skills do you need to make a success of what you do?
To be a successful auditor, you have to build strong relationships with the client and respond effectively to their needs. An equally important characteristic is the ability to work within a team, and becoming a good team leader as you advance thorugh the qualification. You must be able to manage your time effectively to ensure tight deadlines are met, whilst still maintaining a good work/social balance and allocating time for studying.
what's the best piece of advice for people coming into this sector?
You need to be very determined to succeed, especially through the exams periods as they are challenging. You also need to have an analytical mind to be able to interpret the figures that you are dealing with on a daily basis. Having an open mind and eager to learn new things are other key pieces of advice to keep you motivated and succeed in your career.