A week of work experience at Robson Laidler Accountants

Another week, another fantastic work experience placement here at Robson Laidler Accountants!

We welcomed Sarah, a student from Newcastle High School for Girls who has recently completed her GCSEs and is eagerly awaiting her results. Sarah joined us at our Jesmond office for a busy and insightful week, gaining first-hand experience across a range of departments, including accounts, audit, admin and marketing.

At Robson Laidler, we’re passionate about giving young people the opportunity to explore the world of work and develop an understanding of the many career paths available within accountancy and professional services.

Read on to hear about Sarah’s experience in her own words as she reflects on everything she learned during her week with us.

My week of work experience at Robson Laidler

“This week I had the opportunity to complete three days of work experience at Robson Laidler Accountants in its Jesmond office. As someone who is interested in business but is still deciding on my future career, I found the experience both enjoyable and insightful. It gave me a valuable understanding of how an accountancy firm operates and allowed me to spend time in several different departments. I also learned about the wide range of career paths available within the company and gained a better appreciation of the skills and responsibilities involved in each role. Overall, the experience has increased my interest in the business and finance sector and given me a clearer idea of what working in a professional office environment is like.

Tuesday

On Tuesday morning I worked on Reception where I greeted visitors, answered phone calls and assisted with general administrative tasks. I really enjoyed this as I got to know the staff and the business as I interacted with a variety of people.

In the afternoon I worked in the Audit department, observing how financial records are checked and learning the importance of accuracy. I watched an introductory video (one of the Robson Laidler’s podcasts) which gave me a good understanding of what auditing is and why it is important. Afterwards, I reviewed a set of accounts in Excel with guidance from members of the audit team, helping me develop my understanding of financial data and the audit process.

Wednesday

In the morning, I worked with Excel spreadsheets and completed some bookkeeping for a charity while shadowing one of the company directors. It was interesting to hear about their role and learn from one of the senior leaders of the firm. As I had limited experience with Excel beforehand, I enjoyed developing valuable skills in organising, managing and inputting financial data. Within this, I used ‘Datasnipper’ which is an AI tool that extracts information from a PDF or document and transfers it directly into Excel. It was fascinating to see how artificial intelligence is being integrated into modern accountancy practices to improve efficiency and accuracy.

Later in the day, I returned to the Audit department where I learnt more advanced Excel skills. For example, I was shown how to create a pivot table, which is a way of organising, sorting and managing a large set of data so it can be more easily analysed.

For the last hour of the day, several staff members spoke to me about their different career paths and how they became auditors. I learned about both the apprenticeship and university routes into accountancy. I was surprised to discover that some employees had not originally studied accounting at university, while others had recently transferred into audit from different departments. This showed me how flexible and varied a career in accountancy can be.

Thursday

This was my last day in the office, and it was spent in the Marketing department. I was tasked with writing this blog as blogs are used to enhance Robson Laidler’s online presence and support its marketing strategy. I also worked on updating a PowerPoint for a workshops using the firm’s recently updated brand guidelines. Throughout the day, I learned how the firm communicates with clients and promotes its services. This gave me a greater understanding of the important role marketing plays in helping an accountancy firm attract clients, build relationships, and support its continued growth.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my work experience with Robson Laidler. I believe it has equipped me with valuable skills that will benefit me both in sixth form and the workplace. Everyone at the firm was welcoming, friendly, and happy to share their knowledge and experiences, which made the week both fun and informative.

I would highly recommend work experience at Robson Laidler to anyone interested in business, finance, or accounting, or to anyone who wants to gain an insight into office life and explore the wide range of career opportunities available within a professional services firm. It has given me a much better understanding of the accountancy profession and has increased my confidence in considering it as a future career.”

Sarah Moran, Student, NHSG.