A Day in the Life of an Outsourced Finance Function Trainee at Carpenter Box
Paige has been a trainee with Carpenter Box since January 2023 and works in the Worthing office as part of the Outsourced Finance Function (OFF) Group. They provide ‘back office’ finance functions for clients. This covers everything from general bookkeeping work to finance director advisory roles. She has been training for her CIMA qualification and is currently studying for her CIMA B4 exam.
Why did you want to become a trainee at Carpenter Box?
“The reason I became an OFF trainee was that, unlike other departments at CBX, the OFF team deals with more of the management accounting side of things, for example creating monthly management reports for clients. As Carpenter Box’s first CIMA trainee, I feel that the OFF department links closely with the modules I study”.
6:00 A.M.
At 6am I get woken up by my alarm (if I’m lucky enough to not be attacked by my cat demanding breakfast first) and my day has officially started. The first thing I like to do before leaving my bed is do a short, five-minute meditation session to put myself in the best possible mindset for the day ahead of me. After a few minutes of serenity, the morning rush begins. It starts off with making my bed, followed by a quick skincare routine, and slipping into an appropriate outfit for my day at work.
By now it is 7:20, and it is imperative I feed and say farewell to my beloved cat Mimi before heading out to my car for a short drive to work.
8:00 A.M.
After parking my car in a street close by (thanks to the parking permit that CBX provide), I soon arrive at work for a prompt 8:00 am start, taking advantage of CBX’s flexible working policy which means I get to leave earlier and miss rush-hour traffic! I spend a couple of minutes greeting the few colleagues who are fellow early birds to the office, then get comfortable at the desk I have booked for the day and start by clearing my emails.
A few minutes later, my manager arrives, and we have a brief discussion on what the plan is for the day and what to prioritise: there could be invoices that I need to approve and publish or clients who are ready for me to start their month-end management accounts.
1:00 P.M.
Before I know it, it is time to take a break and grab a bite to eat. After, I take a stroll into town (which is only a minute’s walk from the Worthing Office!).
1:30 P.M.
After lunch, I head back to my to-do list for the day. I like to catch up with my manager about what tasks I got done before lunch, and what needs to be prioritised for the rest of the day.
4:00 P.M.
At 4 pm my work day is over and I take a walk back to my car to head home and enjoy my work-home life balance. As soon as I open the front door I look forward to greeting my cat, after not seeing her for what feels like years, then cool off with an hour of yoga and afterwards head to my desk to study for the evening. I like to study for a couple of hours every other evening, especially as I am sitting the CIMA BA4 exam very soon.
Want to know more about our trainee positions?
Paige, a trainee based in our Worthing office, undoubtedly appreciates her work and the work-life balance that trainees get to enjoy at Carpenter Box. Many trainees highlight the sense of familial atmosphere fostered by the company and emphasize the company’s commitment to prioritising their well-being, which extends to every member of the 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.
