Andrea was chosen as our recent Apprentice of the Quarter due to displaying a dedicated and positive, “can-do” attitude toward her studies, leading to a vast majority of distinction grades in both her AAT Level 2 and Level 3 exams. She has remained actively engaged throughout the program, showcasing continuous growth and commitment.

Here’s what our Apprentice of the Quarter said in the interview:

What are you most proud of from your experience to date?

Getting distinctions at level 3 was definitely not easy. I worked very hard to achieve this, and it wasn’t always the easiest to juggle work, study and home life. Now I understand more, it has helped me enjoy my work even more.

What made you choose a career in accountancy? Was there anything that triggered your decision?

I had worked in a few different roles before this, and a previous contact had been in touch to say they were opening a new practice and had asked me if I would like to join the team. I had been working in a practice now for about 8 years as a bookkeeper, and this was great timing for me with this role, as at the time I could process a lot of the information, but did not fully understand it. I decided the apprenticeship would be a good route to go down as my children were a little older, so I felt less time pressured, and it was a good time for me to start studying again.

How did you approach your studies as an apprentice, and what resources/support that FI offer did you find most useful?

You must ensure you are structured in your approach. Pick a suitable time for revision, I usually chose Wednesdays and Fridays, but if there was an exam coming up, I would make sure to also revise at weekends. You need to organise yourself, get help from family if needed, I tried to get my husband to step up in a few of his household duties! Do a few hours at a time, have a break and some time away before coming back to it.

Do you have any study tips for other apprentices about to start their studies as the Apprentice of the Quarter?

I would always suggest completing lots of mock exams before you sit an actual exam. Complete all of the ones on FI Learn and all the ones on AAT over and over again until you feel confident. Always ask if you don’t understand, don’t be nervous, as the tutors are brilliant. Just try and enjoy it and try and make the time you use worthwhile.

How do you manage juggling work & study?

Time management is huge; make sure you know what to do every day and always have flex time for emergencies or changes in priorities. The whole apprenticeship has helped me to become a lot more organised. I write a lot of notes so I don’t forget anything and reach out to other people for assistance if needed, as if you don’t know the answer, that is the time to check with someone else.

How have you been supported by your company and colleagues throughout your apprenticeship so far?

I have been strongly supported by my manager and the whole team. My manager has been brilliant though, and it was her idea to get me started on this route. As I work for a small company, we are all very appreciative of each other, and if you ever need to move anything around, they are very flexible. Anything I was ever unsure of, such as depreciation, my manager sat down and went through the topic to help my understanding.

How has this contributed to both your success with your qualifications and adding value to your employer?

I can do so much more now and understand a lot more, too. I can get involved in more work than before and apply all my knowledge from the courses I have completed. Being a smaller company, a lot can rest on the boss’s shoulders that can now be sent down to me. Learning new skills has meant that I have completed more tasks for clients, and also recently having a new starter joining, I have been able to train them in new aspects that I couldn’t have done before.

What are your goals/plans for when you finish your current apprenticeship?

I would like to use the knowledge gained in Level 3 and put more of this into practice at work to feel more comfortable with it. I would also like to continue onto Level 4 and would like to see what happens after this, as I really do enjoy studying.

Why would you recommend the apprenticeship route for others?

The scheme is brilliant, it is such a good way for to be able to train and learn and earn whilst working, as well as being a different option to university, and you can make a really good career from it. You always feel supported and it’s not just qualification, it also includes skills days to develop soft skills and can help with things such as presentation skills. By going to these skills days, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and did actually make me feel good when I had achieved something that I thought was impossible before. I think it is also invaluable to small businesses who maybe can’t afford full training fees, and can also help them to get better employees, alongside giving them career prospects.

Want to know more about our Apprentice of the Quarter award across the FI Network? Take a look at our article ‘First Intuition launches Apprentice of the Quarter Award!’.

Want to know more about our apprenticeship programmes at First Intuition? Take a look at our helpful apprenticeship page.