I started my Level 7 apprenticeship in April 2018; previous to that I was studying with AAT. So far, I am enjoying every minute of it.

With my wife and two (soon to be three) girls at home, maintaining a work-life balance is a must. The ways that I try to maintain this is by scheduling my study and revision time into our family calendar, as my wife can then plan family time around this. This is especially important around exam times. I also make sure that during the week I study after the girls have gone to bed, so that I still get time to read to them and they get time with their Dad.

There are two main reasons why I chose to do an apprenticeship with ICAEW. Firstly, I wanted to get a professional accounting qualification so I can support my family. And secondly, as I work for a small practice, it was a more cost-effective way for my employer to fund my journey to becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. I’m very grateful to my firm for giving me the opportunity to get my foot on this exciting career ladder.

The best part of being on the apprenticeship scheme is that as well as gaining the ACA qualification at the end of it, you also learn additional soft skills, such as leadership, decision making and building relationships.