My name is Sydney, and I am an ATT trainee at the HAT Group firm Lewis Golden LLP. I graduated with a degree in Mathematics in 2023, having no experience with tax or accountancy. After researching various job opportunities, I was lucky to find an opening for a trainee role at a HAT group firm. The application was very straight-forward, and the staff at HAT were very helpful throughout the process.

In my first week of work, I was sent on a HAT training course in accounting. This provided me with a good primer for how to read financial statements and the terminology used in this sector.

The onboarding process saw me immediately start preparing tax work for clients. This allowed me to gain valuable experience right from the start of my career, with the guidance of more senior trainees and managers. I feel that working in a smaller firm is a big contributor to this, compared with the more exam focused start that is commonplace in larger firms.

Learning how to balance work and study has been a big adjustment from university but the support from colleagues and advice from various HAT training provided has really helped me navigate this. I am very grateful to have been granted the opportunity to work in my current role, and I am excited to continue gaining experience at work and at future HAT training courses!