My internship at CT has been one of the most valuable and memorable experiences I’ve had so far. As a second-year Accounting & Finance student at the University of Edinburgh, I wanted the opportunity to put my learning into practice to get a real understanding of working in the profession and to give me a chance to put my skills to the test. Reflecting on my experience I am very glad I took the opportunity.
What first attracted me to CT was the culture. Throughout the application process, everyone I met was friendly, very approachable and seemed genuinely interested in helping not only me but everyone at the process develops. I didn’t feel like they were looking for someone who could complete tasks; it seemed like they were looking for people that were keen to learn, ask questions and become part of the CT team. That really stood out to me the most.
Since joining CT, I’ve had the chance to work in a wide range of different departments such as Audit, ABA (Accounts & Business Advisory), Corporate Tax, Personal Tax, Marketing, Corporate Finance and R&D. We got the chance to do hands on real client work in each department, using tools like Xero, CCH and Karbon. It was great to get my Xero qualification with a score of 93%, improve my Excel skills a lot, understand how different businesses operate and just simply become a lot more confident in a professional working environment.
One of the biggest things I have noticed is that there is so much more to accountancy than numbers. Behind every spreadsheet or tax return there are real people and real businesses who rely on the advice and support they receive from us. Seeing both sides of the profession has made me appreciate the impact accountants have and why attention to detail is so important.
Although my degree gave me a good foundation, this internship has shown me how different things can be in practice. At University, you learn the theory behind accounting, but in the workplace you are applying the knowledge to real situations where every client is different. I’ve become more confident because of that, and much more comfortable asking questions and taking on work that seemed quite intimidating at first glance.
Advice for applying for internships
If I was to give advice to people applying for the internship next year, I’d say don’t worry about not knowing everything before you start, as you are not expected to. What matters the most is that you are willing to learn, have a positive attitude and are not afraid to ask questions and get stuck into the work. Everyone at CT has been incredibly welcoming, supportive and helpful. I found out quickly that asking questions was the best way to learn.
The people have probably been one of my favourite parts about this internship. From day 1, everyone at CT made me feel welcome and took the time to explain things properly. Instead of feeling like “the intern”, I felt like part of their team, which made a massive difference to my confidence and experience as I felt valued working on real clients with real team members helping me out and reviewing my work to get sent out.
One thing about this internship is that it has gave me an idea of what a career in accountancy looks like. Before I started, I only had an idea from some work experience I did in my school days, and university work. But seeing how it works in practice day-to-day has been really enticing.
Overall, my time at CT has been an unforgettably amazing experience. I’ve learned a huge amount in a short space of time, developed practical skills that I will certainly take back to university, and gained a much better understanding of what a career in accountancy looks like. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to take on this incredible internship, and would like to thank all the staff at CT as they were incredibly welcoming, helpful and patient.
Looking to gain practical experience during the summer?
We offer paid internships every summer with different programmes such as multi-departmental rotational internships and department-specific roles. All these opportunities are listed here. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to HR at HR@ct.me.