I'm Sean Brown, and I work in the audit department at the Newcastle office. I've been here since August 2023, so almost two years, but I originally joined as a placement student during university where I studied Mathematics.

My journey at RSM: from placement student to graduate role

The application process was incremental. Each stage built on the last rather than overwhelming you from the start, which meant you gained more exposure as the process went on.

When I first joined as a placement student, I wasn’t aware of the scale of clients we’d have the opportunity to work with, particularly as some of the clients in the Newcastle office are well-known brands. Since returning after completing my degree, RSM has grown as a business, and the size of clients that we're able to attract and work with has also grown, which makes the job even more interesting.

A day in the life of an Audit Assistant

Today, I’m out at a client site with my colleagues. You’re always working as part of a team, with your own responsibilities. Typically, you engage with the client and work through relevant testing, often collaborating directly with them to reach a solution.

I mostly use Excel in my day-to-day work, and we also collaborate with our data analytics team who have access to various tools to make our work more efficient.

A company has its financial year, and with that comes figures like revenue that relate to that period. Our role in external audit is to examine those figures and perform various tests to confirm they’re accurate and appropriately presented.

Each client has its own intricacies and ways of doing things. For example, during the planning stage of an audit, we gain an understanding of the client’s operations. When reviewing revenue, we look at how and when they recognise it, and what processes they have in place to take a transaction from initiation to its appearance in the financial statements. We do a lot of work to understand how the client operates so we can tailor our service to their business.

Most of the clients I work with are based locally in Newcastle, though we sometimes travel up to an hour depending on the client. While we often have most of the information we need, some queries are better discussed in person to ensure we deliver the level of service our clients expect.

We work with a broad range of clients. I’ve had the chance to work with organisations in manufacturing, hospitality, charities and further education colleges.

Learning and growing on the job

There’s a lot of learning involved at the start, as you’re often looking at tasks for the first time. You might have no idea what to do or how to approach them, but you receive a lot of support. As you progress and develop over time, you eventually become the coach. I had colleagues who took the time to explain things and help me understand how to complete certain tasks. Over time, you become the person who can explain those tasks to others because you’ve built up the knowledge and experience to support others in their learning too.

Your knowledge grows alongside your exam studies. For the more technical areas, you gain confidence because you’ve seen elements of them in your studies, and the exams help trigger that understanding. As a result, you feel more capable and motivated to take on more complex work.

My advice for those looking to join RSM

Audit draws on a wide range of skill sets. I initially thought it was all about maths and accountancy, but it also involves literacy, analytical thinking and interpersonal skills. I think there’s a common misconception about the skills needed.

One of the partners in our office has a chemistry degree and other colleagues have studied History and Spanish degrees who are really good at their job. I studied Mathematics and thought it would stand me in good stead, but I didn’t know anything about being an accountant at all. I think some people are put off by their lack of accounting knowledge but once you’re in, RSM gives you a lot of training.

Anyone who's applying should be confident that they've got the skill set to be able to do the work. In terms of the accounting knowledge, you don't need any prior accounting knowledge during the interview process. The interview process isn't about that; it's about how you come across.

The process is really about showing your personality and interpersonal skills. If you’re at university or college, your academic ability is already clear from your grades. What matters more is how you interact with others. You’ll always be working in a team and engaging with clients, so strong communication and collaboration skills are essential.

Make an impact. Be our future.