Inside Careers Guide to Chartered Accountancy

INDUSTRIAL PLACEMENT STUDENT
MENZIES
RICHARD DAVIS
EXETER UNIVERSITY
BSc ACCOUNTING & FINANCE
WITH INDUSTRIAL PLACEMENT
MENZIES
EGHAM, SURREY
“Once I graduate
I will have a better
understanding of
what career path I
would like to take.
”
Tell us about yourself
I am an Accounting and Finance student at
Exeter University and currently on a placement
which makes up the third year of my four year
course. I enjoy Martial arts (especially Jiu Jitsu),
training in multiple styles/disciplines and I’m
a keen photographer. I’ve recently become
a qualified scuba diver and I absolutely love
travelling, last count I’m at 20 countries and
I’m hoping to hit triple figures before I die. I
believe in living life to the full which doesn’t
involve an uninteresting, time-consuming and
unrewarding job; I’m constantly assessing my
happiness and striving to be the best I can be.
If you’re looking for the perfect placement then
hopefully you’ll want to hear what I have to say.
Why did you choose to do a placement?
There is a joke that me and my friends share
about employers that are looking for someone
aged 20-25 with 30 years’ experience; although
clearly impossible, collectively we agree that
work experience is key to career development
and employability.
When I was presented the option to do a
placement as part of my degree, I remember
thinking that not only will it give me valuable
experience but it would also enable me to see
how my theoretical knowledge translates into
the working world. It adds something to your
CV which makes you stand out from other
candidates when applying for a job, so for me
a placement was a no brainer!
What attracted you to Menzies?
I’m not one of those people who can be a
small cog in a big machine, I couldn’t go into
a firm knowing that I would never see the
beginning or end of a job. This meant that I
ruled out the biggest accounting firms from
my search almost instantly. However, I wanted
the exposure and range of work that a large
firm would come across so I also ruled out
small companies. From there I did my research
into accounting firms that are big enough to
get a variety of clients but also small enough
that I would be able to be involved with every
step of dealing with the client. During my
search I came across Menzies and they seemed
to capture everything I wanted my employer
to have. Their focus on building a relationship
with clients was exactly what I wanted.
What are your main duties?
I don’t think I have any main duties, not for
I’m not one of those people
who can be a small cog in a
big machine. I couldn’t go into
a firm knowing that I would
never see the beginning or
end of a job.
30 Accountancy | www.insidecareers.co.uk/acc