I came to Cleland & Co from the Guernsey Grammar School & Sixth Form Centre after completing my A-Levels in English Literature, Psychology and Film Studies. When I first began Sixth Form, I was undecided about what I wanted to pursue as a career, only knowing that I wanted a career in which I would be continually challenging myself. After researching different areas within the finance sector, I decided to apply for a job at Cleland & Co and I have not looked back.
Despite having been at Cleland & Co for just over a year, I have learned more than I ever thought possible in such a short amount of time. Within this time, I have worked on audits for regulated entities, trading companies and charities. I have also gathered experience preparing accounts for an array of companies and businesses, both large and small, as well as preparing tax returns and ATOL certificates. The variety of services and clientele is a feature that I believe makes working at Cleland & Co such a unique opportunity as I feel as though I am learning something new every day.
As expected; the idea of starting not only a new job but your first full time job can seem daunting amidst the excitement and is likely to leave you more than a little anxious, however, the transition into working at Cleland & Co felt surprisingly natural to me. The team were welcoming and enormously patient with me as I got to grips with accounting and they endured a multitude of questions without complaint.
Surprisingly, the layout of the office was what I found to be one of the most accommodating factors when I was settling into the job. The office is small and open plan which meant I was able to work alongside all of the team members which made me feel like a part of the firm from the get go and allowed me to get to know each of my colleagues in a short period of time.
At this moment, I am working towards achieving my CAT qualification and have every intention of working towards becoming a chartered accountant in the years to come. Although I was initially unsure of what I wanted to do, I believe that my experience at Cleland & Co has eliminated the previous indecisions and helped me to establish a set of targets that I never would have thought would be achievable before now.
In summation, I am very much enjoying my experience as a trainee at Cleland & Co. I am not going to pretend that it is easy; the work can be hard and the hours can be long, but I think that the skills you develop and the knowledge you gain make it worthwhile. I was pleasantly surprised at the camaraderie that is built from working in a small office and I look forward to what the future brings.
Montana Forman
If you are interested in a career in accountancy with Cleland & Co then please get in touch.