Below, Edmund, describes his journey at MKS since joining as a placement student.
What is your role and how long have you been at Moore Kingston Smith?
I am currently a semi-senior trainee ACA, hopefully around a year away from being fully exam qualified. I have been at Moore Kingston Smith for just over 15 months full time, having previously spent 12 months here on a university work placement and prior to that 1 month doing work experience.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
I am originally from a city called Colchester in Essex, and I went to the University of Bath where I studied accounting & finance. I took the very well-trodden route of moving straight to London after university and it’s going well so far!
What inspired you to apply for this role/this company?
After doing a bit of research online, I decided to write to the firm to ask if I could do some work experience in the summer between my first and second years at Bath (summer 2018). I was considering looking at the big four too, but had heard a few too many negative stories from students who had undergone work placements there. I heard back very quickly from MKS (just KS back then!), and spent a month helping out in the West End office.
I really enjoyed that month in London, and felt very strongly about wanting to apply for my year-long work placement at the company. Fortunately for me, before I could apply I was invited back to work at the West End office again for my degree’s year in industry. The year that followed was even more enjoyable than my work experience stint, and following my placement I then got offered a training contract starting in September 2021. It’s not been the traditional route of finding a graduate job, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it all so far!
What has been the single most important thing you learnt so far in your job?
Under-promise and over-deliver. You are never going to get in trouble for being honest and telling one of your superiors that you just don’t have enough time or the expertise to complete something. It is far more problematic to over-promise and end up under-delivering or delivering work to a poorer standard due to time constraints.
What would a ‘normal’ day look like for someone in your role?
I would most likely be at our office near Tottenham Court Road station, or on client site. I don’t mind working from home, but enjoy being in the office far more as it’s nice to eat lunch and chat with my colleagues. My
days are usually spent auditing or preparing sets of accounts for a range of clients across the firm.
What do you find most interesting with the sector or team you’re in?
The great thing about the West End office is that many of our clients are creatives, so there is a high chance if you come to work here that you will be auditing or doing the accounts for some very well-known names. It’s interesting to take a closer look at the financials of companies that make content that millions of people consume on a daily basis. For example, one of the first audits I ever worked on was a company that had (at the time) recently produced a very well-known Christmas advert.
These clients span a range of industries, such as theatre, animation, production, and advertising (to name a few!). Another enjoyable aspect of the West End is how willing managers are to taking on feedback, and if there is a particular client / industry you want to focus on more, they are usually more than willing to accommodate for this if you mention it! It might just be personal preference, but I certainly end up enjoying my job more when I am interested in a client’s industry, and the West End provides very well for this!
What is the company culture like?
Brilliant - I feel very happy at Moore Kingston Smith and would recommend the firm to anyone. It took very little time for me to settle in, and even after returning from my final year at uni it felt very natural returning to work. There is plenty to do socially; with team socials, office socials and firmwide socials too!
How important is diversity to you and what is Moore Kingston Smith doing in this space at the moment?
It is apparent at work that Moore Kingston Smith is committed to ensuring the firm continues to remain diverse and inclusive. Most recently, the firm’s dedicated Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee held a Black History Month quiz where they tested trivia shared throughout the month via their email account. There are great opportunities available at the firm too, such as joining the London Pride march every summer!
Finally, any tips for anyone who’d like to apply for a role at Moore Kingston Smith?
Go for it! Moore Kingston Smith is a great place to train to be a chartered accountant, and the support offered by the firm throughout your training contract is excellent.
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Sound interesting? Learn more about life at MKS and their exciting opportunities on their profile.