Cara Turtington, partner, Saffery Champness
Cara Turtington is a partner at Saffery Champness. She attended the University of Nottingham.
From law to accountancy
The people in my intake group had a wide variety of degrees – I don’t think a relevant degree is an advantage after the first couple of weeks. My law degree helped me as I was very self-motivated about study and good at time management. It also provided me with good report writing skills and essay technique, which were invaluable in the Advanced Stage exams.
I started my training contract the September after I graduated. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and saw training as an accountant with a mid-size firm as a great way to find out more about business in general. I never thought that I’d be suited to a long term career as an accountant but realised that I loved my job!
Building confidence
At times it has been hard being so much younger than the people I am employed to advise. Finding a balance of self-confidence about your technical knowledge balanced with respect for your clients’ knowledge of their business is not always easy but it comes with practice.
It’s much more than the numbers at this level
I love the variety of clients I get to work with. It sounds cheesy but no two days are the same. I get to visit interesting places and really get involved with how my clients work. It’s much more than the numbers at this level – you need to understand all about your clients, their motivations and the risks they’re prepared to take. Advising charities is rewarding as you feel you can make a difference to your clients and their beneficiaries and your advice is appreciated.
Advice to aspiring accountants
Do your research and apply to a range of firms. When I started applying I wasn’t sure what type of firm would be best but after researching I applied to about eight. It became obvious through the interview process what was a natural fit for me but there are no right and wrong answers on the size of firm. You need to be sure it suits your personality.
