How often do you work from home vs the office?

2/3 days in the office, rest working from home.

Do you have flexi working?

Flexible working is available on a case by case basis.

How is work assigned to you?

I am assigned a portfolio of clients who I will work on for at least a year. Advisory projects are shared amongst the team, or if you specialise in a particular area, the work would automatically come to you.

How is your time split?

The majority of my time is spent doing client work, whether that be working on tax returns or advisory projects. I will also attend networking events, and complete compulsory internal training and administrative bits.

Is your role client-focused, and how are clients assigned to you?

Yes, it is completely client-focused and clients are assigned to you. As you become more experienced, a particular set of clients will be assigned to you depending on what suits your expertise.

Do you need to meet certain targets?

Yes, 80% of my total time worked each month should be on client work, training or networking/seminar attendance. As you become more experienced, recovery rates on client work should be at least 80% (this is the amount billed to the client as a proportion of all mine and my colleague’s time working on the client), therefore budgets must be managed and accurate quotes provided to the client.

Are there professional exams to complete?

Yes, to be a tax adviser you must be a qualified Chartered Tax Adviser. This qualification typically takes 3 years to complete and usually consists of 6 written exams and 3 computer-based exams.

Career Progression

Career progression at my firm is very clear; you are considered a ‘preparer’ whilst you are completing your exams and then move up to a ‘manager’ when qualified. You then have the opportunity to work towards becoming a director and even a partner of the firm. Every year you discuss career progression with your manager and set goals for the following year.