Five minutes with Charlotte Guest, Audit Trainee

Charlotte shares with us how she had to adapt her learning style to achieve the best results from her professional qualification and why she is looking forward to getting back to the office.

You joined the firm as a Graduate and are now studying for your ACA; has working and studying been a challenge?

At first it was a shock moving from studying for a degree, to working full time and studying for a professional qualification, but after the first couple of months I found myself getting into a routine that was manageable.

Now I am over half-way through my studies, I find the balance much easier to navigate and manage my time to make sure I get everything done, whilst still having a social life.

How has your role changed since COVID hit?

Since the pandemic, my role has changed just by the way in which we work. Suddenly, I found myself working from home; I really had to think for myself and effectively manage my time. This has proven to be a useful tool as I have progressed in my role, especially as I am taking on more responsibility.

How would you describe our culture in three words?

Welcoming, engaging, progressive.

How important is the firm’s stance on wellbeing and inclusion, to you personally?

Since Covid-19, I feel as though wellbeing and inclusion has become a much more important topic at work, as people are working remotely. I personally find the firm’s stance on wellbeing and inclusion very important, as I know there is support available if I ever feel I need it. There is also a variety of information on these areas accessible at any time, which is very convenient.

Would you recommend MHA as an employer? If so, why?

From a graduate perspective, I would recommend MHA as an employer due to their training and studying flexibility. As many of my team are also students or have recently qualified, I find that there is always someone to speak to about your exams. The firm is also accommodating with study days and exams, making sure you have the option of which study pathway to choose, ensuring you are comfortable with how many exams you sit at a time.

What is the best thing about your team?

The best thing about my team is that we share common interests. The atmosphere within the team is more like a large group of friends, and I enjoy the social aspect that comes from this outside of work too.

Our values are Service, Teamwork, Attitude and Relationships.  What do these mean to you, and how do you integrate them into your working day?

Service to me is how we interact with our clients, ensuring we meet their needs. As I deal with clients on a daily basis, service is something I provide constantly.

Teamwork is incredibly important within our audit team, as you are often working within smaller teams on specific jobs, but we are also one larger audit team too. Being able to help each other share the workload makes the working day much easier.

Having a positive attitude to work makes the tasks seem easier. I try to always stay positive around the team and make sure other people are feeling positive too. This also makes morale much higher.

I found that I have built solid relationships with my team, and clients too. I build on these relationships each day. Without these it would be much harder to achieve your goals each day.

Finally, the last year has been a real shift from the norm; what has been the best thing about lockdown and what have you found most challenging? 

The lockdown meant that studying for my ACA qualification moved to online learning. At first, I was apprehensive at first, but I actually found the experience better than attending college for the day. Being able to study live online, from home, has cut out my commute and meant I have more time in my evenings to study and relax.

The most challenging aspect of the lockdown was the initial move to working from home. Usually, I work within a very social and active team, and the norm for us would being out on site a client premises most of the time. Shifting from this very interactive work pattern to being alone was a massive shock for me (much like many others). I have found that I have adapted over time and become used to the new norm, but equally can’t wait to get back into the office!