A day in the life of a Business Services trainee at Carpenter Box
Business Services trainee, Deaglan Johnson, gives us an insight into a working day at Carpenter Box.
Deaglan (Dec) has been a trainee with Carpenter Box since July 2019 and works in the Worthing office as part of the Business Services Group. He has been training for his ACCA qualification and has recently just completed his last paper in December 2022.
Morning
I wake up at 7am to get ready for work. Today was a non-client facing day, so I’ve picked out jeans and a smart shirt for the day. I have a short drive to work and I’m able to park on a road close by, thanks to the parking permit supplied by Carpenter Box. Once I’ve parked, it’s only a short walk to the office. I usually aim to get into the office by 8am. I like to utilise Carpenter Box’s flexible working hours policy, starting before the usual 9am.
Once I have arrived at work, I am usually one of the first ones in the office. I like to spend some time looking through my emails at the beginning of the day. This is so I can ensure I am up-to-date and aware of all communications and developments with all the client work that I am involved with. This way I can prioritise accordingly. I then like to work on clearing smaller tasks such as filings or calls to HMRC.
It’s 9am now, as the majority of my team has arrived, I move onto my more significant assignments for the day. These can vary from working on statutory financial statements, VAT returns, personal tax returns etc. I really enjoy the variety of work offered at Carpenter Box, getting to work on clients from various different industries.
Mid-morning snack
Around 10am a local café turn up in the office that sell coffee, pastries and snacks, which I always make use of. After this little break, I continue to work on my larger assignments, stopping to work on more urgent little bits as required by my managers.
Lunch
At 1pm, it’s lunchtime. Carpenter Box’s Worthing office is located right in the town centre, so there is a variety of options to choose from, depending on my mood! From small local cafes, supermarkets, McDonalds and other fast-food restaurants. I can choose to either eat in or bring the food back to the office and chat to colleagues whilst eating.
Returning to work
At 2pm it is back to work continuing with the assignments from the morning. As it is the latter end of the day, I check in with the manager I have been working for and give them an update on my work, which allows them to plan accordingly. The day ends at 4:30pm with a short walk back to my car, which is nice and refreshing.
Study
On the student contract I get a day off a fortnight to prepare for my exams which are spent watching lectures and completing practice questions. I also do some studying over the weekend to supplement my study days and ensure I am prepared for the exams.
Outside of work
I enjoy going ice skating once a week and am looking forward to getting back into playing golf in the coming summer.
Want to know more about our trainee positions?
Dec, a trainee based in our Worthing office, undoubtedly appreciates his work and the work-life balance that trainees get to enjoy at Carpenter Box. So many trainees point to the family feel that the company encourages and how their wellbeing is paramount to everyone, all the way through the entire Team. To find out more about a trainee position at Carpenter Box you can check out our website, or alternatively, you can contact me or a member of my team on 01903 234094.
