What is working at EQ in a qualified role like?

At EQ, our people are at the heart of what we do. As a modern, energetic accounting, tax and business advisory practice, we understand how important it is to have the right people in the right roles to be able to provide the high-quality services our clients expect.

We are currently on the lookout for talented individuals to join our team to help support our growing portfolio of clients. To give you an idea of what working at EQ is really like, we’ve answered some of the frequently asked questions below to highlight how we operate and what you can expect from working in a qualified role at EQ.

What is working at EQ in a qualified role like?

In short, no two days are the same. You’ll be assigned a varied client portfolio and each client will have their own unique requirements and range of services that we deliver for them meaning that you could be working on a diverse range of assignments each day. You’ll have regular communication with your clients, allowing to you to develop and nurture your relationships with them in order to fully understand their business and their needs.

As a training firm, you’ll also be there to help your colleagues – looking over the work of junior members of the team or assisting with a specialist query depending on your knowledge and skills. In turn, those more experienced than you will be available to assist you in your development. We have a knowledge sharing culture at EQ so someone will always be on hand to help you when you need it.

You’ll work closely with the client engagement Partner keeping them informed on the progress of assignments and you’ll delegate work to the team involved to ensure the needs of the client are met.  In addition to this, you’ll help market the firm’s services to clients and potential clients through writing articles, meeting with intermediaries, attending events, etc.

What is the environment/culture like at EQ?

Our organisational culture and working practices facilitate personal growth and knowledge sharing in an inspiring, encouraging, friendly and supportive environment.

We are a close-knit team, working together to motivate, train and develop one another. There are regular discussions across our offices on workload, technical issues, systems used and how to best collaborate to get the best results for our clients.

It’s not all about work though – our team have a great social aspect to look forward to at the end of the work week. We enjoy spending time outside of work together at organised social events throughout the year and look forward to doing more when it’s safe to do so.

In recent months, throughout the pandemic, as our teams have been working remotely, we have established weekly chats for everyone to keep in touch as well as arranging office wide events such as a baking competition and walking challenges – helping to maintain a sense of belonging even though we are apart.

Along with the social side of things, we also take part in a lot of fundraising activities, raising funds for our chosen charity of the year. Our biggest milestone to date was in 2018 where we managed to raise £34k for Maggie’s Centres – and we had a great time doing it!

Will I get my own client portfolio/how much client interaction will there be?

At EQ, we operate a three-tiered system where each client is assigned a Partner, Manager and Controller. This means that no matter what level you join us at, you are always going to have a lot of interaction with clients. Having your own varied client portfolio will see you act as the main point of contact and you will help support other members of the engagement team. You will develop your client relationships as you progress, and you will pass on your knowledge and understanding to less experienced members of the team. Of course, in turn you will be supported and learn from those with more experience than you at this time.

Is there anything that differs from any other firm?

One area that we believe sets us apart from other firms is the fact that we don’t departmentalise. Unlike other firms where you might be responsible for purely audit, accounts or tax work, our team have a varied workload and get involved in all aspects of client work.  We believe our working practices create more fully rounded accountants, enabling them to build close relationships with their clients and provide meaningful business advice in all areas.

What sort of training do EQ provide?

We provide regular and continuous training, allowing our team to develop their technical knowledge and keep their continuous professional development up to date. From well-established in-house training programmes, the engagement of external speakers delivering training internally, external courses supported for individuals etc, we believe in providing as much support as we can to help people do their jobs to the best of their ability.

We have supported a number of staff members through further professional qualifications as well as specialised courses, including training to become a Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA).

How much experience should I have before I apply?

Ideally you will be ACCA/CA qualified with post qualified accountancy experience gained in general practice. You should have a solid understanding of accounts preparation and tax compliance.  A willingness to learn and adapt is important to us, as are excellent organisational and communication skills.

What are the career prospects/opportunities at EQ?

There is no limit to the development opportunities available to those that are keen, show interest and have a willingness to continue to learn and develop their skills. Individual development meetings are actively encouraged and facilitated by our structured development review programme. Promotions through our grading structure follow on from the development review programme based on merit.

An example of this can be seen in the promotion and appointment of our three new Partners in April 2020, all of whom are under the age of 35. They each began their training journey with us and have shown commitment and dedication to their development, to their clients and to the firm. You can read about them here.

What now?

If EQ sounds like somewhere you would like to be part of,  you can take a look at our current vacancies here. We encourage you to apply or get in touch for more information; even if your skills aren’t a perfect match to the roles advertised, we’d still love to hear from you as we are always on the lookout for talented individuals. For a confidential, no obligation chat, get in touch with our HR team on recruit@eqaccountants.co.uk.

Over the coming weeks we will be sharing the experiences of some of our team who made the move from other accountancy practices – what their expectations were and what they think of working at EQ. They’ll also give some advice if you are thinking about applying so keep an eye out on our website and social media.