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Interns in accountancy in Manchester

Internships in accountancy at Alexander Knight & Co in Manchester

We are delighted to welcome Alan Su to our team as he begins his internship programme at Alexander Knight & Co. Since we launched our practice in 2012 we have always invested in the next generation of accountants.

This summer, in 2019, we have introduced a more formal internship programme for people who wish to launch or progress a career in accountancy in Manchester and Cheshire.

If you are in college, sixth form or university and you are trying to get a foot in the door in the finance industry then you’ll know how challenging it can be.

The competition is intense. However, there are some things that you can do to stand out from the crowd. Here are some of our key tips:

Polish your CV

First things first, you need to have a clean and clear CV – with no spelling mistakes. Make sure that you proofread your resume for any spelling errors. Correct any spelling, style, or grammatical mistakes. Then, check it again. It is better to get someone else to proof read it too.

Be truthful and realistic on your CV. Don’t stretch the truth. That time when you worked in the school tuck shop doesn’t count as “financial management”. Don’t be tempted to exaggerate the roles you have played in organisations or it will surface in interview.

Think outside the box

Be alert to internship and work experience opportunities all year round – not just during the summer months. Getting experience  at anytime of the year in a good accountancy firm is always worthwhile.

Get advice – and go direct

Careers advisers at schools, colleges and sixth forms are normally pretty good these days at guiding students on the availability of internships. Don’t just rely on them though.

To uncover really good internship opportunities, check the websites of accountants because many of them will have a careers page which offers details of their work experience or internship programme. Even if some of them don’t list one, the chances are they might have one, they just don’t advertise it. Don’t be shy to pick up the phone and speak to people to find out who the correct person to send your CV to is.

Apply on time

More formal internship programmes have strict deadlines for applying. Make sure you submit your application on time. Pay close attention to the submission process and don’t miss anything out. If anything is ambiguous, double-check with the employer so that you are fully clear on what is expected. Many applications get rejected because candidates don’t complete their application properly.

Prep for your interview

Going to an interview unprepared almost certainly guarantees that you won’t land the position. Obviously, you should be well presented, smart and arrive on time for your interview. Find out as much as you can ahead of time who will be interviewing you so that you are familiar with their role in the company.

Be proactive in asking questions about the company you are applying for – what is their growth strategy? How do they go about finding new talent? What is their range of clients?

Some of the more popular open-ended interview questions posed by employers include:

  • Where do you see yourself in five years?
  • Why did you choose the A-levels/degree you did?
  • Why are you interested in becoming an accountant?
  • Tell us about a time when you resolved a problem.

Alison perhaps add some better ones!?

Be flexible!

Internships offer a varied range of duties and learning opportunities. Whether your task is to input data into a spreadsheet, support an audit team or attend a client meeting, make sure you do it enthusiastically and professionally. Employers are always on the look out for new talent to enhance their organisation. If you follow these simple tips you could be the next superstar they are looking for.

To be considered for our accountancy internship programme for 2020 email alison@alexanderknightaccountants.co.uk

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Six good reasons to buy a business this year

buy a business in hale

Alongside launching a company, buying an existing business usually ranks as one of the most exciting times of an entrepreneur’s career. It’s worth remembering that a successful acquisition takes patience, effort and plenty of homework before the deal is agreed.

When our entrepreneurial clients acquire a business, we take great care to make sure that the deal makes sense financially, practically and culturally. After all, it’s not for the faint hearted.

Buying a business

In our experience there are usually some common reasons why it makes sense for business owners to make an acquisition.

  • Geographical expansion. Rather than creating a new physical infrastructure to sell your services or goods and hiring new staff in a new location, it may be less risky and more profitable to acquire an existing business in your target location.
  • ‘Bolting on’ new services, skills or technology. Creating new products and services to add to your business can often be done more efficiently through acquisition than trying to build them in-house. If another company has expertise in an area you want to operate it can make sense to ‘bolt’ them on to your existing business.
  • Growth and exit. It could be that you and your boardroom colleagues are on a growth mission for your business and a strategic acquisition can add value to your position. If you have one eye on an exit (i.e. selling your business) you may be able to create more value in your business by growing it with a suitable acquisition.
  • Buying a competitor. It may be that you feel that your business and a rival business are in the same marketplace, fishing in the same pond for the same type of business and that you come up against each other all the time in pitches and tenders. By teaming up together you may be able to create a more successful business.
  • Getting presented with an opportunity too good to miss is common. Sometimes, you will see an opportunity to radically reduce costs, improve margins and cashflows in a target business. Good professional advisers will present opportunities to you where you might not ordinarily come across them. This strategy is where private equity firms excel.
  • Succession planning. Retirement, handing a family firm into new hands or undergoing a management buyout (MBO) are popular routes to acquiring a company.

If you are thinking of acquiring a business you need to make sure that you finance the deal appropriately, structure the deal correctly legally and ensure that a thorough due diligence process takes place. That’s where lawyers and accountants will be able to help you and add tremendous value.

If you are looking to acquire another business call Murray Patt on 0161 980 8788 or email murray@alexanderknightaccountants.co.uk

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