Assurance: audit trainee

Audit trainee Tom Barnard works for BDO. He completed a geography degree at Durham University. He is studying for ACA qualification.

Why audit?

The lure of an internationally known and well respected qualification, along with the chance to gain exposure to a wide range of businesses, was a big incentive for choosing the audit sector.

Understanding business

We work in teams of three to four, carrying out audit work at clients’ offices. Working on revenue and cost of sales sections has shown me how businesses function on a commercial level. I recently worked with a restaurant client where the financial controller explained the effect on profits of changing the grade of pepperoni and cheese! Understanding businesses to this level is both enjoyable and rewarding.

The benefits of study

Initially the task of learning a completely different and challenging topic was tough but having others around who also came from nonfinancial degrees made the challenges much more manageable. With 12 exams now under my belt it feels like an age ago that I first went to college with a very limited knowledge of accounting. In the coming year – when I know I’ll have clients in financial services, leisure, natural resources and industrial markets – I hope to become exam qualified and enjoy taking on more responsibility as I move into a senior role.