Assistant Tax Advisor Review

I've really enjoyed my work placement. I was given a high degree of responsibility from the start, managing a project that was to be used by the worldwide Head of Tax. However, I also felt supported; my tasks were challenging but not impossible, and I felt as though there was time and space to experiment and make mistakes, without huge time pressure.

My colleagues were keen to provide me with work if I needed it, asking regularly whether I could assist them. They were happy to spend time to explain a process before assigning it to me, and allowed me to get really involved in what they were doing. For example, for one colleague a lot of the work was with outsourced providers, and when I'd completed a piece of work he wanted me to draft emails to Deloitte and others. While initially these were heavily edited before being sent on, by the end of the placement my emails were being sent largely unedited.

Support from my line manager was excellent. I was lucky to be sitting immediately adjacent to him, and was always willing to give advice and feedback if asked for. This was most valuable when I was working on a HMRC consultation document, which required going through complex tax computations. My manager understood that I had no knowledge of such things so was willing to answer a multitude of questions about how to approach them.

The workload was very much in my own hands. I was given a primary project, another project later on, and one weekly process by my manager, which kept me occupied for most of the time. Other that that, it was up to me to ask around for work to get involved with, but my colleagues were happy to provide work and my manager helped to find me work with various people. Towards the end of the placement I became busier, but this was due to several of my projects coming to a head at once, and was driven by my enthusiasm to see them through rather than an enforced workload. There was therefore no reason to ever be bored, and I enjoyed the ability to have control over my own workload.

A high degree of responsibility. My primary project was to produce a spreadsheet to aid the Head of Tax in tracking the progress of tax returns, and I was given total control of how this project progressed, with guidance from my manager if I sought it. Otherwise, I was given responsibility for a vital weekly process, and other colleagues were willing to give me responsibility for smaller pieces of work if I asked.

There is no doubt that I've developed a wide array of skills during the placement, from communicating professionally, to using Excel, to presenting confidently and effectively. While I doubt these will be utilised during the final year of my degree, they will certainly be invaluable when I enter the workplace, as they are key skills for almost any role.

I would describe it as relaxed yet lively. While people worked hard, they still found time to have a chat, and often went to lunch together. At the start of my placement, the teams in the office were preparing for the Interim Accounts, which provoked much lively activity, with discussion and advice being sought regularly. It become considerably quieter after the announcement of these results, yet still there was a general buzz of work related discussion.

We were contacted by our managers before the placement to let us know where to go on the first day. This first day was preceded by an induction day, where we had a general induction to the company before a finance-specific induction, with the opportunity to ask questions to current finance grads. Overall, it was fairly well organised, with weekly comms updates keeping us informed of any deadlines or upcoming events. We had social events, such as a BBQ and a dodgeball evening organised for us, and were told at the start of the placement the selection procedure at the end, which was reassuring.

We had an induction day, introducing us to the business and some of the key skills they look for in potential employees. There was an Excel training session, which was useful in developing basic Excel skills which I then applied to my day-to-day role. We also had a 'Present with Impact' session which was invaluable in developing my presenting skills, making me think about breathing, body language and taking pauses in my speech.

Thanks to free accommodation provided by Centrica at Royal Holloway university, living costs were very low. It's also worth noting that this wasn't your run-of-the-mill uni accommodation, we had double beds, en-suites and modern kitchens which were cleaned regularly. This made a huge difference to the financial viability of the placement. In terms of socialising, I got to uni in Durham, so am used to exceptionally cheap nights out (£1.90 pints in a real pub). I therefore found the cost of going out rather expensive. However, for anyone who's experienced living down south, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Certainly. We were encouraged to take part in a charity challenge with our fellow interns for Shelter, Centrica's chosen charity. My team were very involved in this, raising money through sponsorship for running/cycling far enough over 4 weeks to power a small house for a day, 'Bike Rush' events where we took it in turns on an exercise bike in the office atrium, and a football challenge at the office BBQ. Overall, we raised more than £1700 in 10 weeks, something I'm immensely proud of.