Meet Damilare, 21, from London and find out more about life as an accountancy apprentice at Hays. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
My name is Damilare, I'm 21, and I'm an accountancy apprentice.
I work in a specialist recruitment firm. I'm on an 18-month rotation as a finance apprentice, so I'm getting a feel of the business in every single sector. When I first started my apprenticeship, I started off in a call centre. In the call centre, I used to take calls from workers and clients. Since moving on from the call centre, I currently work in a specialist billing team and this requires me to produce complex invoices for our clients. Attention to detail is very key - mistakes have to be kept to a minimum to maintain that client business relationship. Maths is a really important part of my job. I need to ensure that the numbers are correct.
At school I was OK at Mathematics but, with my hard work and perseverance, I began to excel. In school and college, I didn't want to go into accountancy. I really liked engineering. So after college I went on to go to university to study engineering. I realised after my first year that engineering wasn't for me and that it wasn't a profession that I wanted. I thought it made sense for me to drop out. After dropping out of uni, I found out about an accountancy apprenticeship through a friend.
Currently, I spend four days a week at my finance apprenticeship and one day a week at college, studying for my accountancy qualification. I love my job because I'm surrounded by people who constantly support me and provide help whenever I need it. What interests me about being an accountant is that you deal with all the money going in and out of the business so you have a major say in whether the business succeeds or fails. In seven months' time, I will have finished my apprenticeship and achieved my AAT Level three qualification, which will lead me to become a fully qualified accountant.
Dropping out of uni was very upsetting at first because it was all I knew. I felt like I'd let everybody down but, reflecting on it and being introduced to the world of apprenticeships, I realised that it was the best choice I could have ever made because it's opened so many doors for me and I'm very excited about what the future holds. I can't wait to become a fully qualified accountant.
I love my job because I'm surrounded by people who constantly support me.
- When Damilare dropped out of university he wasn't sure of his next steps
- One of his friends was doing an apprenticeship and he thought the combination of learning and working would be best for him
- When researching his options online, he found Leadership Through Sport and Business – it's a charity that gives ambitious young people who face disadvantages access to careers in accounting and finance.
Once Damilare completes his apprenticeship and achieves his AAT Level 3 qualification, it will eventually lead him on the path to become a fully qualified accountant.
What to expect if you want to be an accountant
There are several different types of accountancy roles available once you're qualified. For example, you could be a private practice accountant, helping people and businesses manage their money effectively, a public finance accountant, managing money in public sector organisations, or a management accountant, looking after a company's finances and finding ways to increase profits.
For more information about salaries, working hours, and routes into accounting roles, check the National Careers Service website. If you're interested in more hands-on ways to study, check the GOV.UK website to see if a T-level could be the right fit for you (available in England only).
Sources: National Careers Service, GOV.UK.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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