Keelie joined our Biggleswade office in September 2021, as a Trainee, and will be studying towards her AAT qualification.
Coming from a background in Sales Administration and with an A-Level in Business Studies, she was keen to build upon this foundation and the opportunity with George Hay presented Keelie with the perfect opportunity to do so.
Currently, Keelie splits her time between our Bookkeeping and Payroll departments and so supports a range of businesses with VAT returns, and payroll administration.
Q1. Having had some time to settle in, what word do you feel best describes George Hay?
Professional
Q2. Your profile tells us you enjoy going to music festivals/concerts. Do you have a favourite artist/band that you’ve seen live, or festival that you’ve been to?
My favourite concert was in London, seeing Maroon 5. Festival wise, anything Drum and Bass is up my street!
Q3. What appealed to you about the opportunity to work at George Hay?
I enjoy problem solving and helping people achieve their goals. I wanted to be able to build a career in a professional field and gain a good level of knowledge which can be applied to any business. George Hay is a well-respected accountancy practice with a great team of knowledgeable professionals so when I learnt about their apprenticeship programmes, I knew there would be a lot of support throughout the training and that the end goal of helping clients with their finances and achieving their objectives would be very rewarding.
Q4. As someone who enjoys artistic pursuits, can you tell us a bit more about your creative side (and specifically the ‘pyrography’)?
I’ve always had a creative side and loved making cards and painting pictures to decorate my room when I was little.
I enjoy experimenting with a range of different media, my favourite being Oil paints as they take so long to dry, that you can change your painting if there is something you don’t like!
Pyrography is decorating wood by burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic pen. It’s not something you see every day, which is why I like it – it’s unique, and no matter the design it always makes an impact!
Q5. What is your food heaven and food hell?
Heaven is pasta and pancakes. Hell would be seafood and liquorice!
Q6. You split your time between Bookkeeping and Payroll currently; what do you enjoy about each of these disciplines?
Bookkeeping is great because you can help clients to stay organised and to keep on top of their finances. You generally focus on one client at a time which I enjoy, as you’re able to get a good understanding of the business and how its performing, as well as to identify anomalies or issues with cash flow, for example, by really homing in on the information that is in front of you.
Payroll is fast paced; I enjoy communicating with clients often and keeping up with any changes to the rules and regulations – i.e. minimum wage, pensions contributions. The nature of this discipline means it’s also really easy to improve and preserve IT skills, as the payroll function is driven by up-to-date technology and systems.
Q7. With Christmas a matter of days away, what’s your favourite thing about Christmas and what film is guaranteed to get you in the spirit?
My favourite part of Christmas is seeing my family and friends and watching them open their gifts. Miracle on 34th street and Elf are the first on my Christmas movie list!
Q8. Having done an A-level in Business Studies, how do you feel this relates to/helps you in your current role?
My A-levels allowed me to gain basic knowledge of business functions and situations. It gave me an insight into the leadership and decision-making processes that go into running a business and ways in which those running it can improve their performance and finances. These are things I can continue to develop my knowledge of whilst training in the bookkeeping and payroll departments at George Hay.
Q9. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being worst, 10 being best), rate your present-wrapping skills?
They definitely start as a solid 8, but the more presents I wrap I’d say they drop to a 4 (and that’s being generous)!
Q10. How do you feel working full time as part of the wider team benefits your studies, and what advice would you give to others considering a career in practice?
Working full time within two different departments allows to me gain a variety of knowledge from qualified colleagues who have years of experience in their respective specialisms. Being able to ask colleagues questions specific to my studies is incredibly beneficial.
If accountancy is a path you’d like to take, George Hay provide all of the support you will need to be able to gain your qualification and to continue your professional development even after that point. They are a friendly and approachable team, always willing to help and will teach you everything you need to know to be successful in your role.
