We were extremely impressed by Alice’s impressive academic record and her experience in both an office environment and customer service roles, so felt she would be a perfect fit.
4 months on, we felt it would be a good idea to touch base with Alice and see how she’s getting on at Sheards. Alice is studying towards her AAT qualification and as part of her apprenticeship she attends Kaplan Financial in Leeds once a week. But we wanted to find out how life at Sheards has been for her.
How have you found your first few months at Sheards?
Everyone has been extremely welcoming and feel I’ve settled in really well. I love sharing an office with Mia and Joel – they’re both really lovely and always up for a laugh. At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’ve been really enjoying it. I love the challenge of learning something new almost every day. I help Mia with bookkeeping and VAT returns as well as other jobs such as reconciling a bank or tidying accounts for clients.
What has been your biggest achievement so far?
My biggest achievement has definitely been passing all of my AAT exams so far. I have 5 exams left before I progress to Level 4 so I’m hoping to continue doing well. I was also very proud when I submitted my first VAT return.
Have you found anything difficult or have you had to overcome any challenges?
When I first started I found it difficult because I felt a little bit out of my depth – I’ve never done anything like this before and I hate not being able to get the hang of something straight away. I’m getting there now though!
What’s the least favourite part of your job… and don’t worry, you can be honest!!
I’d say the least favourite part of my job is the filing and bagging everything up to be shredded, but I’ll always get the job done. If I could make one change it would be to have bigger offices so that there’s more people in each office.
What are your future career ambitions?
In the next 5 years I hope to be fully qualified and much more confident in the job I am doing. I would also like to see more of the world in the not too distant future.