Charlotte Hughes-Broughton

From admin assistant to ACA Trainee

Why did you choose Goodman Jones?

I came to Goodman Jones after deciding University wasn’t for me and preferred the idea of going straight to work after completing my A- Levels. Initially my role consisted of completing admin work for the audit department, such as filing tax returns and completing Know Your Client procedures, which gave me a sense of responsibility. I was also involved in organising social events for the firm, my most memorable being when we visited HintHunt in Euston and completed their Escape Rooms. I also organised our team for the annual JP Morgan Corporate Chase Challenge, which is a 5k run around Battersea Park organised by JP Morgan.

I later started to take on more accounts work, such as the preparation of statutory accounts and Goodman Jones also offered to put me through the AAT qualification. I have since completed this qualification and am now a Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians. At the time I had worked at Goodman Jones for 3 years and had seen several trainees complete the ACA qualification to become Chartered Accountants. I decided that I wanted to complete this qualification too and I was accepted onto the September 2018 intake. I feel that I have been fully supported since I started at Goodman Jones

Where are the tuition courses held and what support are we given?

I completed my AAT course at First Intuition London, and this is the same college I attend for my ACA courses. Although there is a lot of new information to take in with each course, the tutors are knowledgeable and engaging and we have follow-up revision courses to practice answering questions and complete mocks. When the time comes that you need to sit the actual exam, you feel as prepared as you can be!

What was it like joining the ACA team following AAT qualification?

There was a significant step up between my previous role as an accounts senior and my new role as an audit junior. Going out on audits you are dealing with clients face-to-face and need to be able to develop a good rapport with them to get your testing completed on time and to a high standard. My first job was a property management company and I didn’t know what to expect, but the audit semi senior and senior were very friendly and helpful, explaining the purpose of my tests and showing me how to complete them.

Since then I have been on audits at a variety of clients, including a company which charters private aeroplanes. I have a keen interest in the property and construction industry, as well as hospitality and leisure, which are two of Goodman Jones’ specialisms. As a second year I am now taking on more responsibility and leading smaller jobs. I was apprehensive at first about the step up in responsibility and the difficulty in the tasks from being a first year trainee but everyone at Goodman Jones is supportive and if you’re not sure how to do something there are plenty of people around you to ask, from other trainees all the way up to the partner group.

Why should I join Goodman Jones?

At Goodman Jones we are constantly encouraged to think about the future and how we want our future careers to progress, be it at Goodman Jones or elsewhere. If there are specific jobs or assignments that I am interested in working on, I feel that I have given the support of the management group to do so if possible. There are also opportunities to attend networking events to develop new contacts and meet other young professionals. I’m not made to feel like a trainee, but rather a valued member of the team that is able to make a real contribution.