My biggest personal achievement is becoming an Audit Manager. It has been a goal of mine ever since I started my career six years ago, and I have put a lot of hard work into getting where I am, so it felt rewarding to feel recognised for that.
Luke Joiner, Audit Manager
What attracted you to Bishop Fleming?
I’ve had an interest in accounting and finance from quite a young age (all thanks to my Grandad!), so when I left school in 2017, there was only one career path I was going to go down.
My journey started in a Big 4 firm in Plymouth as part of their school leaver programme, a 5-year programme whereby my time was split between study and work. During the first three years, alongside my audit work, I also had the unique opportunity to be sponsored to go through an accounting and finance degree at the University of Birmingham. I was also able to work on statutory audits for various market-leading clients in the UK. The experience was invaluable, but I always felt like a small cog in a very large wheel and distanced from the clients I dealt with. I gained my Chartered Accountancy qualification with ICAS in July 2022 before moving to Bishop Fleming in the same month!
From the outside looking in, the two main factors that attracted me here were the opportunity to progress my career and the values of the firm. I have felt that everyone at Bishop Fleming is truly invested in your professional growth, and there are opportunities aplenty on this front – you have to take them! You also get trusted to deal with clients from day one. Understanding businesses, their challenges and their needs is something I love to do, and I relish having the chance to be in contact with my clients regularly. There is such a friendly and welcoming environment; the office is always buzzing with people, and there is always somebody on hand willing to answer any queries.
I think it’s fair to say that my time here has been everything I’d hoped it would be!
Can you share with us your career journey and role at Bishop Fleming?
I came into Bishop Fleming as an Audit Executive, leading the audits on various corporate clients in industries such as healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing. In this role, I spent most of my time visiting client sites, having the opportunity to find out all about them, build relationships with them, and ultimately complete various audit tests on their financial statements.
I was then fortunate to be promoted to Audit Manager in October 2023. While I enjoyed auditing and problem-solving as an executive, my favourite part has always been working with clients and building long-lasting relationships with them. My new role has allowed me to do this even more than before!
Outside of the day job, I am also involved in several of the “extra-curricular” activities that are on offer at Bishop Fleming, including becoming a people manager, being actively involved in our inclusion and diversity working group, and assisting with the recruitment process for our graduate and launchpad programmes.
What have been your most significant achievements so far?
My biggest personal achievement is becoming an Audit Manager. It has been a goal of mine ever since I started my career some six years ago, and I have put a lot of hard work into getting where I am, so it felt rewarding to feel recognised for that. It was also my first professional promotion, and it was amazing to celebrate with my family!
As a team, there isn’t necessarily one achievement that sticks out above others; I am always proud of the hard work we put in to deliver a successful audit. Having said that, I will always remember my first engagement, in which I acted as the Audit Manager for Frobishers Juices. It was a learning curve for me, but our audit team were great, and they ensured that my first experience as a manager went smoothly; we also had the perk of having free juice for the week!
What’s on the horizon for the future?
I am not long an Audit Manager, so my main goal for the immediate future is to continue to bed into the role and draw on the knowledge of my senior peers to ensure that I am doing the best job possible. In the long term, I would love to continue progressing my career here at Bishop Fleming, with an eye on becoming a Senior Audit Manager.
Do you have any advice for others thinking about starting a career in accountancy?
If you’re thinking about making a career change, ultimately, you must do what is best for you and your ambitions! It can be daunting and certainly a big decision involving so much change, but trust your instincts, and you will reap the rewards in the long run.
Starting a career in accountancy is one of the best decisions you can make – although I appreciate, I am biased! You can do almost anything with the qualifications you gain, and the world is your oyster. Studying for your accounting exams is challenging, but with the right attitude and people around you, they are by no means impossible. And it feels so rewarding to get the final confirmation that you have passed them all!
Interested in a career in accountancy? Take a look at our apprenticeship opportunities here!