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Since April, I have been interning at shapes as a trainee accountant as a part of my T-level accounting college course which has greatly increased my knowledge and skillset in the industry.

DAS 2024!

Shortly after joining Shapes, I attended DAS 2024 with Steve, Sue and Jim- I wasn’t really sure what to expect from an ‘accounting show’ at first but upon arrival I discovered that it was going to be a great day and opportunity to connect with companies who are shaping the future of accountancy. Although it was the definition of being thrown in the deep end with the limited knowledge that I had at the time, I feel it served as a chance to get some real world advice and knowledge from people already in the industry as well as a good occasion to connect with the Shapes team.

Starting with Xero

The certification program was structured into different modules, each focusing on specific aspects of the software. I started with the fundamentals, learning about the dashboard, bank reconciliation, and basic transactions. As I moved through the certification as the weeks went by, I began to tackle more complex modules such as creating financial reports and setting up charts of accounts. Once I had got through all of the modules, I was awarded with a Xero certification!

Kent FA

In my first couple of months at Shapes, we were invited to conduct a presentation to lots of local football clubs about the importance of keeping their accounts tidy and how Xero could help them do this. We found it was a very common trend for almost all of the teams to only have one person involved in the finance side of the club as well as the software that they were using (if any at all) being very outdated!

Meeting clients

Attending client meetings was a pivotal part of my internship. These sessions provided valuable insights into client expectations, enabling me to bridge the gap between creative concepts and business objectives. Collaborating with clients like Tom Coller on brand enhancement projects highlighted the importance of aligning marketing efforts with organisational goals.

My key take-aways

Since September, I would say that my skills have really improved and I’ve been understanding at a far more accelerated rate. This has really installed some confidence in me now and although I still do ask questions I’m not as nervous that I’m going to dive into a set of accounts and mess them all up! 

Recently, I’ve been helping to produce reports for Herne Bay Women’s FC’s board in which I go into depth on how their actual figures are tracking against their budget and make recommendations based upon this. I feel this has given me a far greater skillset as I now know how to review financial information in depth, I also find the breakdown of finances very interesting and so found enjoyment in doing this.

What am I looking forward to with Shapes?

As my placement progresses nearer to the end, I look forward to continuing to build upon the skills that Jim and Steve are helping me to implement into my own skillset. I have already seen a massive change in what I am able to understand and complete and I hope that I can continue to keep on improving!