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A taste of the world of work

EXPERIENCE in the everyday world of work is invaluable for students, while finding out exactly what graduates have to offer is invaluable to potential employers – a win-win situation on both sides.

Hawsons Chartered Accountants regularly offers internships to accountancy students looking for a placement for the third year of their four-year courses. Currently, Nottingham Trent University student Luke Donnelly is working at the firm’s Moulton Park offices, getting an insight into the day-to-day workings of a busy accountancy practice.

David Owens, Corporate Services Partner at Hawsons, said: “Each year we aim to take on two graduate trainees and internships are a great way for those potential trainees to work with us, find out about the job and make absolutely sure that it’s what they want to do, and for us to find out about them before making them an offer.

“A graduate finishing a four-year course during which they have done a placement year is in a far better position than someone who has done all the theory of a three-year course but hasn’t got the practical experience, or found out what the job is all about.”

Luke will return to university when his placement year is over and no decision has yet been made on either side about whether he will join the firm full time once he has graduated, but the benefits to both sides are clear.

Hawsons pays its interns a salary during their placement year, and try to ensure that they get experience in all aspects of the business, from tax returns to company audits.

David Owens added: “All of Luke’s work is, of course, tailored to his knowledge and abilities, but he’ll get a taste of all aspects of our work. Being an independent firm, we are able to do that and that’s to his benefit. In larger firms, an intern might well be left to do fairly menial tasks because there simply isn’t the structure to work with someone and guide them when they’re learning, but we can give them a real taste of what life as an accountant is all about.”

Contact Hawsons Chartered Accountants on 01604 645600 or visit the website www.hawsons.co.uk

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