#TalentTuesday – Lauren Carroll

Category: EQ NewsPeople - Posted On: Oct 9 2018


Lauren Carroll, Trainee in our Dundee Office

Where and what did you study at University?

I studied Scots Law at the University of Dundee.

Why did you choose a career in Accountancy?

I was a part time bookkeeper during my University degree and as a result I more or less fell into accountancy. From my time in my bookkeeping position, I found I enjoyed working with figures, despite not really liking Maths at school, and it encouraged me to look into an accountancy career.

Why did you choose to apply to EQ Accountants to complete your professional qualification?

Being from Dundee I already knew of EQ and their reputation within the city. I did not really intend to apply for anywhere else, this was always my first choice, and I am so glad I did because I have been enjoying my training so far.

What is a day in the life of a CA Trainee like?

No day is the same! I often find I get a wide variety of jobs to undertake from personal tax returns for self-assessment to accounts prep for sole traders and smaller companies. There are so many different jobs to get involved in to give me experience in all areas. I have recently taken on my own portfolio of clients so I hope this will develop my training even further and expose me to many new areas and issues clients may have.

What do you enjoy most about being a CA Trainee at EQ?

Definitely the variety of jobs I get to take part in including Audits, Tax and Accounts. I am now learning about charities which is yet another area I am getting key experience in. I really enjoy going out to clients on audit and getting to meet them and work in their office environments, it’s a really good learning experience.

What have you found the most surprising during your training with EQ?

At first, because I studied a non-relevant degree, I was worried that I would be a little out of place but everyone is so helpful and understanding and I never feel stuck. There is always someone on hand to give me assistance when I need it and the level of support in the office is amazing and that’s why I love it. There is also so much internal training provided which only helps further my learning and development.

What 3 qualities do you think a CA Trainee needs to have if they are to be successful?

  • Determined- It can take a lot of determination to get through some jobs. You can be handed a bag of receipts and manual cashbooks that may be difficult to follow and you simply have to work through it. You have to be determined to get the job done and see it through but often these are the jobs you remember the most and actually learn a lot from.
  • Organised- it can be quite hard sometimes to balance work and study but if you are well organised then it does make it easier
  • Patience- I found I got quite frustrated at the beginning because I thought I wasn’t picking things up fast enough but I found I just needed to be a bit more patient with myself and it would all click and come to me eventually.

Do you have any advice for those interested in applying for our graduate training vacancies this year?

Just have a good think about what you want to do after University. Look into the CA qualification and decide if it is for you. Go to careers events, ask questions and meet the people who work there, as this will give you lots of information to help you decide whether or not to apply.

Our 2019 Chartered Accountancy traineeships are now live, you can find out more via www.becomeaca.org.uk/ or apply using our online application form here. 

The closing date is Thursday 25 October 2018 so please make sure you give yourself plenty time as we do start reviewing applications as they arrive and may start inviting successful applicants to interviews before the closing date.

You can also read about our graduate vacancies, including others experiences via: Graduate Recruitment.