Established more than 130 years ago, Larking Gowen is a major independent partnership of accountants and tax advisors based in East Anglia.
Each year, Larking Gowen accepts applications for its apprenticeship programmes, including AAT and ATT for school leavers and ACA, ACCA and CTA for graduates.
Arabella Woodruff was familiar with Larking Gowen and its reputation as one of the UK’s top 40 accountancy firms, which originally inspired her to apply for work experience with the firm in 2014.
“Members of my family have been clients for many years,” she says.
For one week, Arabella was immersed in the day-to-day realities of a potential career path.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my work experience,” Arabella says. “I was exposed to the different aspects of preparing accounts and developed my understanding of what an accountant does.”
Arabella was impressed by the ethos of Larking Gowen and its commitment to people, which she experienced first-hand.
“Even though I was only here for a week, I was really made to feel part of a team and I received so much help. My colleagues made my experience super enjoyable and easy. I realised this is a work environment that would be ideal to learn and grow in.”
In 2016, Arabella began her AAT Level 3 apprenticeship. Today, Arabella is an accountant in the Farms and Landed Estates team.
“The five years I have been at Larking Gowen have been a fantastic learning opportunity that has enabled me to grow in knowledge and as an individual,” she says.
Embarking on an apprenticeship involves both practical work and academic study, so there are certain qualities that have proven useful during Arabella’s apprenticeship.
“Drive, determination and persistence have proven useful to me during my training,” she says. “Although it is a fantastic opportunity, studying alongside full-time work is a lot to take on. This therefore requires determination to put the time and effort in to studying to get through the exams.”
Arabella has integrated many more essential skills during her apprenticeship that have future-proofed her employability.
“During my apprenticeship, I have learnt to actively listen,” she says. “This is required both in study and at work to pick up new skills. If you aren’t listening when someone is explaining, you will not improve.
“I have also developed time management skills,” she adds. “Being an accountant comes with many deadlines that must be met: accounts filing deadlines, tax return deadlines, etc. This requires adequate time management skills and prioritisation of work.”
Acquiring these abilities at such a young age has set the stage for Arabella to continue on her professional trajectory, which is opening many doors for Arabella. Now, the sky is the limit.
“I’m hoping my apprenticeship will lead me to become a manager, senior manager or even partner – who knows!”
To anyone thinking about enrolling in an apprenticeship with Larking Gowen, Arabella has some sage advice.
“Go for it!” she says. “Having the opportunity to study and work with the amount of support that is offered is a no-brainer.”
For more information, please visit www.larking-gowen.co.uk/careers
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