26 July 2022
My work experience at Haines Watts: Ben H, Anwyn and Ben S
Ben S, Anwyn and Ben H joined Haines Watts Newcastle for work experience placements. During their time, they have pieced together a blog to reflect on their experience.
Why was Haines Watts the right fit for you?
For Ben H. Haines Watts was the right fit for him because of the workplace environment.
“Everyone was helpful and supportive when I was undertaking the tasks which really helped my confidence when doing the work. Even though everyone was professional, people were happy to chat to each other and seemed to have a good relationship across the office. The office culture at Haines Watts gave me perspective that it’s not just about the work, but also the interaction and relationship building."
Which team did you enjoy spending time with the most and why?
Anwyn, who is currently studying for her A-levels enjoyed working alongside the accounts team.
“As someone who enjoys numbers, I had a lot of fun with the introduction to accounts and having the opportunity to look at different balance sheets and profit/loss accounts."
"I found it insightful to see the accounts team utilising different kinds of software and methods that go into the process. For example, we looked at the software Xero and how the software can be operated to organise the financial data of small to medium businesses. This was an enjoyable activity as handling, organising and balancing numbers to me was a satisfying process.
What was the most interesting thing you learnt at your week in Haines Watts?
Anwyn enjoyed getting an insight into the relationship building aspect of audit.
“It was interesting to see how auditors use the opportunity to build relationships with their clients and how the process of understanding their needs can turn into expanding their business through innovation. Engaging the auditors gave me an outlook on the reality of what they do on a daily basis. It’s made me realise that auditing isn’t just working through numbers.”
What have you most enjoyed about your time in Haines Watts?
Ben S studies Politics at University and is currently planning to start a career in accounting after graduating. When asked about what he enjoyed during his work experience at Haines Watts, Ben spoke about the audit team and his insightful visit to a client.
“I had the chance to shadow the audit team to a client site which was probably the highlight of my work experience at Haines Watts. It was an informative opportunity for me as I am currently thinking of going into audit and shadowing the team allowed me to see how audit processes happen first hand. I also enjoyed other tasks in audit such as payroll reconciliation procedures and cashbook reviews.”
What made you choose Haines Watts for your work experience?
Sixth form students are encouraged to choose their own choice of workplace for work experience. Through a past experience with Haines Watts and a drive to learn more about the principles of accounting, Anwyn discusses why she chose Haines Watts:
“I chose to do my work experience at Haines Watts as I had already been involved with an office visit with their previous charity partner, Building Self Belief. It was a valuable event to go to as we learnt about the tips on interviews, effective CVs and how to build a coherent and dynamic profile on LinkedIn. I made sure to have another opportunity with Haines Watts to further develop my skills, as the company left a memorable impressions with how welcoming and friendly the team were. It was definitely the right choice to go back to Haines Watts for a week of work experience as it gave me a solid foundation and understanding how departments operate efficiently within an accountancy firm.”
Has your work experience helped you decide on your future career goals? How and why?
One of the objectives of work experience at Haines Watts is to provide students with encouragement and guidance on deciding their future career goals. Ben H said:
“My work experience placement at Haines Watts showed me how different businesses and clients interact with each other in the working world which I found interesting. Although I’m still in sixth form, a future career in accounting is highly probable and Haines Watts has been helpful in narrowing my decisions. It’s given me a comprehensive awareness of what the job entails as well as all the different specialisms and sub-categories within accounting.”
