Hayley, who is based at our Letchworth office, joined George Hay back in 2019 and is currently studying towards to become a Chartered Accountant.
Q1. What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Friendly, determined and reliable.
Q2. What is it that you enjoy about working in-practice, and what kinds of responsibilities do you have?
Working in practice has meant that my day-to-day is never the same, which I like. Being able to work with and speak to different clients regarding their year-end accounts has broadened my accountancy knowledge, which helps greatly with my studies.
As well as assisting clients with their accounts, I support clients and my colleagues to ensure that all filing deadlines are met and that clients are aware of any outstanding tax liabilities, at any time.
Q3. What is one word that you feel best describes George Hay?
Approachable.
Q4. Your food heaven, and food hell is…
Food heaven would have to be chocolate fudge cake. My food hell would be mushrooms, I cannot stand them!
Q5. Having recently passed one of your ICAEW exams, what advice do you have for those considering training as an accountant, but who might be worried about the study or exam requirements?
The classic line is ‘if it were easy everyone would do it’. It is hard work, and it would be a lie to say that it isn’t a bit stressful at times, but the end result makes it all worthwhile. Studying is a big time commitment and sitting exams is nerve-wracking, but that moment of relief when the results are released, to find out the hard work has paid off, is amazing!
My advice would be that, if you are thinking about it, just go for it! You might just surprise yourself.
Q6. Do you have any exciting plans for the summer now that restrictions have been lifted?
I like to be spontaneous, even before COVID, so I have nothing specific lined up at the moment. That being said, it is nice to have a bit more freedom to enjoy the nice weather we’ve been having!
Q7. What would we find on your bucket list?
I would love to go on a safari in South Africa, to see the animals in their natural habitat. You would also find on my list, a visit to Nashville where I’d like to watch a concert at the Grand Ole Opry and go to the Bluebird Café.
Q8. What motivated you to pursue a career in accountancy?
I was unsure if I wanted to go to Sixth Form, to complete my A-Levels, and I saw a job advert for my previous employment. I knew I had always really enjoyed my Maths lessons, so I decided to apply for it and went from there.
Q9. Your specialist subject on Mastermind would be…
This is a tough one, but maybe classic Disney (Frozen is just too new for me!).
Q10. What do you hope to achieve at George Hay, in the next 12 months?
I hope to continue passing my ICAEW exams and be even closer to achieving chartered status.
In respect of my role at George Hay, I hope to take on more responsibilities in the office and to be able to work on some more complex accounts, to put what I have learned during my studies into practice.
