Employer profile: Armstrong Watson, Chartered Accountants

Chartered Accountants support businesses with things like tax planning, auditing, and financial management, but what's it like to work for one? In this guide, you’ll learn all about working at Armstrong Watson, what apprenticeship opportunities are available, and how to apply.

Armstrong Watson at a glance:

Rachael Feechan, who works in the Talent Acquisiton team at Armstrong Watson, tells us what it’s like to work for the firm.

What does Armstrong Watson do?

Armstrong Watson is a professional services firm. We provide advice and expertise to all types of businesses from small local firms to national brands. Our team has experts in lots of different business areas in industries like leisure, technology, retail, manufacturing, medical, and farming. 

Essentially we are financial problem-solvers. We help our clients understand how money comes in and out of their business, and we analyse data and advise which sales are profitable and which aren’t. We support our clients through each stage of their business cycle from first starting up right through to selling their business.

Where is Armstrong Watson based?

We have offices across the North of England and Scotland. Our head office is based in Carlisle and we have 12 other regional offices spread across the North East, Cumbria, and Yorkshire. This includes offices in Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, and Manchester.

What is your workspace like?

Our offices are extremely modern and open-plan. We hot-desk, which means that instead of having an assigned desk, we book our seats via an app. Each desk has two large monitors and all staff receive a laptop so they can work remotely too.

Each office has a number of meeting rooms where we meet our clients face-to-face. The meeting rooms have a mounted TV which hooks up to our laptops allowing us to present data to our clients.We are heavily invested in the latest technology. We don’t have traditional phones: all phone and video calls are routed through our computer and our headset, making communication quick and easy.

What are the top five work environments that best describe what it's like to work at Armstrong Watson (taken from the Unifrog work environment profile)?

• Working independently
• Having to act professionally
• Often working with others
• Lots of oral communication
• Indoor or sedentary work

What are some of the most common roles at Armstrong Watson?

One common role at our firm is an Accounting Assistant. Their job is to complete accountancy and business taxation assignments for clients. To do this they input the records received from a client onto the computer, seek guidance from their supervisor on any unusual transactions, and communicate with clients (via email and phone) to request extra details and clear queries.  

Each assignment varies and can take between half a day and a week to complete. Occasionally, Accounting Assistants are requested to visit client premises in order to perform these duties and generally their working hours are from 8:30am to 5pm Monday – Friday. Our firm closes over Christmas and New Year, giving us an extended break so we can relax, recharge, and maintain a work-life balance.

What are some of the most common entry-level roles at Armstrong Watson?

A common entry-level position at our firm is Trainee Accounting Assistant. This role supports our Accounting Managers, who are responsible for a portfolio of accounting clients. The Accounting Managers make sure that our clients’ annual requirements are met whilst delivering excellent customer service. 

Trainee Accounting Assistants work with Accounting Seniors and Accounting Managers, and—where appropriate—they deal directly with clients. They work across all client types including smaller companies and nation-wide organisations, and the work they do increases in complexity as they gain more experience.

How can someone join Armstrong Watson at entry-level?

There are two main pathways.

You can join without any previous accounting experience via our three year AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) apprenticeship scheme where you’ll be a Trainee Accounting Assistant, or our ATT (Association of Tax Technicians) apprenticeship schemes where you’ll be a Trainee Tax Compliance Assistant. These schemes are full-time and you’ll gain a professional qualification whilst working in your local area.

As a graduate or a student with an AAT qualification, you can join our three year ACA apprenticeship scheme. You don’t necessarily need previous accounting experience to join. You’ll work full-time alongside studying, and after three years you’ll gain a highly sought-after professional qualification. As well as gaining valuable work experience, you'll also be given time to attend college each week to support you with the completion of your qualification.What are the entry requirements for these roles? 

To join us as an AAT or ATT apprentice, you need to be aged 18 or over. You’ll also need a minimum of five GCSEs or Scottish National 5’s at Grade 5 or above (Grade C), including maths and English. In addition, you'll need to have achieved already, or be predicted to achieve, a minimum of three A Levels or Scottish Highers at Grade C or above.

To join our ACA training programme you’ll need either a 2:1 degree or above in any subject, or the full AAT Level 4 qualification. We may consider candidates with a 2:2 degree in certain locations if your degree is in a subject relevant to the role.

What skills does Armstrong Watson look for in applicants?

We recruit for apprentices via our annual assessment centres. During the assessment centre, you’ll have an interview with an Accounting Manager and a representative from our Human Resources team. You’ll also complete a basic numeracy assessment and take part in a group exercise. 

Throughout the application process we’re looking to identify skills like teamwork, problem solving, the ability to think on your feet, and excellent communication. We look for these skills alongside your motivation for the role you’re applying for. 

One of the main ways we look for these skills is through a group exercise; this is a great way for us to spot things like team working and problem solving. In our interviews, we also ask candidates to give specific examples of when they have displayed these skills in the past.

Related Unifrog skills:

• Numeracy
• Teamwork
• Problem solving
• Adaptability / Personal effectiveness
• Communication

What is one top tip to help an entry-level applicant succeed at getting into Armstrong Watson?

Follow Armstrong Watson on social media and make sure you are up-to-date with current issues.

What can students be doing right now to build their experience?

Volunteer or get a part-time job. This is a great way to build up your confidence and your social skills. It will also teach you how to develop relationships which is really important as you start to interact with your peer group, your manager, and our clients.
 

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