As we invest over £100,000 into each graduate during their training contract, we expect a fair amount from you including:
Academic excellence
We want our trainees to pass all their exams at the first attempt. Our academic criteria are 300 UCAS points (24 on the previous tariff) and an upper second class (2:1) honours degree in any subject. The reason we apply such stringent criteria is the correlation that exists between good academic results and success in the professional exams.
Although other firms may have different academic criteria, ours were met by almost two-thirds of all UK graduates entering accountancy training contracts last year.
If you do not meet our criteria we will be unable to consider your application but would refer you back to your local careers service for guidance.
Commercial awareness
Whereas a number-cruncher could happily calculate that a client’s turnover had decreased from say £45m to £42m, the trainees we want to work with should be able to explain to that client why it has happened and what they can do about it.
You obviously can’t give clients this type of advice until you understand their business and this will only come from understanding the economic environment in which they exist.
Communication skills
The size of the clients we work with, together with the need to understand clients’ businesses by looking ‘behind the scenes’, mean that you will deal with as many non-accountants as accountants over your first three years.
Making a success of these relationships relies on good communication skills, both verbal and written, and we will test these through the selection process.
Commitment
The amount you learn, in and out of the classroom, over your first three years is incredible. The demands of work, study and play often compete and there will be times when you envy friends with jobs that do not involve further exams!
A commitment to qualifying and a thorough understanding of what the exams actually involve is therefore essential. We would recommend you look at the syllabus of the qualification on either of the institutes’ websites before you apply.