Accountancy

This activity is about audit, one of the most common ways to start a career in accountancy. Auditors check that a company's accounts tell the true story of how it is doing, so that investors, banks and the public can trust them.

A day in the job

• You work in a small team, often at the client's offices, getting to know how their business makes money.
• You test the numbers: picking a sample of costs and sales and tracing each one back to the evidence, like invoices, contracts and bank statements.
• When something doesn't add up, you ask the client about it and chase the answer, often with a deadline coming.
• As you gain experience, you plan the audit, lead a team of juniors and explain what you found to the client's directors.

You might enjoy this if

• You like getting to the bottom of how things really work.
• You're careful with detail and don't mind checking twice.
• You'd rather work as part of a team than on your own.
• You're comfortable asking people questions they may not want to answer.

How people get in

• After A levels or equivalent: an apprenticeship or school leaver programme with an accountancy firm, where you're paid while you study for professional exams.
• After university: a graduate scheme. Many firms take any degree subject, and you train towards a chartered qualification such as the ACA or ACCA.
• At college or on the job: AAT qualifications, which can lead on to a chartered qualification later.

Where it can lead

Qualified auditors often move into management, become partners in their firm, or take finance jobs inside businesses, up to finance director or chief financial officer.