Tom

“I graduated from the University of Sussex in 2020, in the time of covid lockdowns. I moved back home to Bournemouth, and it was very hard to find a graduate job then.

I worked for 18 months at my local Tesco. My manager there put me in touch with her son who works at PKF Francis Clark, she thought I might like it here too. He told me that you’re treated as an individual here and I thought that felt better than applying to the ‘big four’ accountancy firms where I’d be one of many.

I originally applied for accountancy training but then I found out more about the tax training route. I thought tax would mean doing the same thing, all day, every day. But every day is different. There is so much variety – it surprises me how much!

One week I’ll be doing research and development work. I’ve helped clients in the food, retail and technology sectors get tax relief on their research and development expenditure. You learn some fascinating things along the way! Then the next week I’ll be doing a corporate tax return. Another time I’ll be setting out restructuring plans for clients. I’ll start by establishing their needs and then presenting some options, after that I work with them to get the plan in motion.

The best bit of my job is when I work with a client from start to finish on a job, knowing that I’ve had an impact, saved the client some money and helped to set them up for success in the future. That and passing the exams!

I want to pass my Chartered Tax Adviser exams and work my way up to Senior Manager. I know that if I put in the work I’ll get there. We have career conversations with our managers to help us. In these we discuss what you need to do and make a plan to get there. That’s your conversation, you can make whatever you want of it. There is this clear and natural progression in my role, and I feel like the firm wants me to get there”.