Member Article

Playing the sweet tune of vocational learning

With the 15th annual National Apprenticeship Week upon us, we wanted to celebrate the significant difference vocational learning makes to Haines Watts across all our regional offices in the West Midlands.

We managed to catch-up with Rosie Smithers, Tax Trainee in Birmingham, to talk about her journey with us, where she wants to be in ten years’ time and how she manages to combine a demanding work role with keeping her passion for music alive and well.

**A career in accountancy…was that always the dream? ** I must admit I never set my heart on a career in accountancy. Yes, I’ve always had a natural skill for working with numbers and problem solving, but as a young adult your mind is awash with lots of different ideas and things you want to do.

It was only once I completed a degree in Maths and Music at the University of Birmingham that I decided to focus on where my qualification could take me and started to apply for numerous roles in the sector.

**How was the process? ** Tough, but ultimately rewarding. I’d initially applied for an Accounts Trainee role, but unfortunately technical issues at the group interview stage saw me unable to complete the assessment.

Frustration soon changed to optimism when I was contacted by the HR team to say they’d like me to interview for the Tax Trainee role in Birmingham and, the same day, I was offered the job.

**How has your first few months been at Haines Watts? ** Working on the personal tax team and, with the end of year deadline just completed, I’ve had to really hit the ground running and I’ve loved it. This meant I could get involved straight away in understanding how I was going to help my department meet the expectations of over 500 clients.

I’ve also started my ATT Apprenticeship with Kaplan, which is a mix of on-the-job training and mentoring, combined with time spent in college. This should take 18 months to complete and will give me a great knowledge base to accelerate the rest of my career.

**Doing an apprenticeship after completing a degree might traditionally be seen as a step back – did you feel that? ** Not at all. My degree was a more generic maths one and there is plenty I must learn in the world of accountancy.

Whilst I really enjoyed the lifestyle of a degree, I’m also a big fan of the Apprenticeship route, where I can apply what I learn to real-life client cases. There’s also the added benefit of being able to tap into the knowledge of my team, who have lots of experience and are only too willing to share it.

**What is your favourite and worst part of the job? ** Being part of a team that works closely in a fast-paced environment is a real positive as I feel I’m learning new things all the time and am never on my own when making what could be crucial decisions.

I also love the variety of our clients. One minute I can be working on the personal tax of an owner manager, the next it could be family shareholder, a self-employed freelancer or even a TV entertainer.

The least favourite part of the job is trying to get hold of a tricky client in time for the deadline.

**What attracted you to Haines Watts? ** The values really resonate with me and, whilst we are looking to grow fast, there’s still a real family feel to the business and the fact we always want to deliver the best possible service to our clients.

There’s also a great social circle to enjoy in the West Midlands, with regular events and charity pushes giving you the opportunity to get to know colleagues outside of work and support vital local organisations doing amazing work.

**If you had a crystal ball, where would you like to be in five years’ time? ** If things go to plan, I’ll be fully qualified and hopefully moving up in the team at Haines Watts. Tax has got so many different aspects to it, so the plan will be to get as much experience in all the different disciplines as possible.

**We understand you are a keen musician. Does the job allow you to still enjoy your passion for music? ** It certainly does. As long as I’m on top of my workload, I can manage my diary to still complete all of my musical commitments, which includes playing the trombone, bass trombone, cello, piano and voice.

Currently, I’m in several function bands and one of the more interesting gigs is performing with a German ‘Oompah’ band that travels around the country playing sets and staging drinking games all while wearing Lederhosen.

I’m also a very proud member of Break out Brass – one of the first female-led brass bands in the UK. We deliver a lot of workshops in schools to give children the confidence to pick up an instrument and get playing and even transport these kids into retirement/care homes, so the elderly residents can watch them perform and take part if they wish.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .