Ever wondered what a typical day in the office for us is like? In an occasional series, we asked our team members to tell us about their work. In this way, we hope you’ll get a better understanding of what everyone does, but also find out more about what makes them tick.
For the first in this series, we talked to our Audit/Accounts Manager Catherine Hill.
Meet Catherine
An important part of my job is to work on the audits of some of our larger clients. I also prepare monthly and yearly accounts as well as corporate and personal tax returns.
In my managerial role, I supervise team members and also help with the scheduling to ensure our clients have the team continuity and that our trainees get the chance to work on the areas they need to ensure they meet their study requirements.
You may have seen me out and about as I also take an active role in HB’s marketing. This includes organising our own events as well as going to various networking meetings on behalf of the company.
An average day
For me, there’s no such thing as an average day! I may be working with a client in the office or going to work onsite at their office. When I first started at HB, I didn’t realise how much time I’d be spending out of the office, but it has turned out well as I love both the variety and the opportunity to build relationships with my clients. Some of my clients are out of the area – one is as far away as Bath – so I do travel around a lot.
I’m also out of the office for networking meetings, client meetings, career days and courses. It all keeps me on my toes and no day drags.
I always begin my day the way I end it, by checking emails. I work on large audits with tight deadlines, so keeping an eye on emails helps me stay on track. At the beginning of the day, I also need to make sure the team know what they’ll be doing and go through any queries from the night before… it’s a good job I’m a morning person!
When I get a break at lunchtime, I’ll go for a walk into town. Since the company has been actively networking, it’s always nice bumping into people who work locally. Until recently, Karen Chase and I sometimes did lunchtime classes at the local gym but I stopped when I became pregnant; hopefully I’ll get back to attending them once I’m back at work as it really did help me focus in the afternoon.
A great team
I really enjoy working as part of a team and building up relationships with colleagues. I also like the fact that I’ve built up strong relationships with clients and help them achieve their business potential.
What I like most about HB is that the directors really care about your development. You’re pushed to fulfil your potential and I honestly don’t think I could have achieved all I have done without the support of John, Keith and Karen. I’d have thought that it wouldn’t be possible to become a qualified chartered accountant after leaving school with just A Levels and not taking the uni route, but with the support and training from the directors, I achieved it in 2013. It has been incredible to be part of this award-winning firm.
If you would like to find out more about the accountancy services offered by Catherine and the rest of the team, contact us to book an appointment.
