Applications to join our Graduate Academy are now open! If you are looking to start your career as an ACA Qualified Chartered Accountant, our study programme is here to support you on your journey.
We now have exciting opportunities to join our teams in our head office in Northwich, or at our Cheadle, Altrincham or Macclesfield offices.
Training to become a Chartered Accountant typically takes three years – but alongside your tuition you will also gain invaluable and extensive experience working in either Personal Tax, Legal Services, Audit, Corporate Tax or in General Practice – pending office location.
Our Graduate Programme
At bennettbrooks, we’ve been training accountants for over 30 years and in August 2023, we launched our new Graduate Academy. Our Graduate Academy sees a cohort of students join us at the same time within a formal apprenticeship program, meaning that in addition to your mentors and managers, you will also have the support of your peers as you navigate through your exams, tuition and roles at bennettbrooks together.
Becoming part of the Academy gives you access to tuition and external training with First Intuition (our chosen provider), as well as in-house training, mentorship and tailored support within our offices – all of which will  equip you with the technical and professional skills you will need to start your working life.
How does the training work?
We will fund your study towards the ACA qualification, which includes membership subscriptions, tuition, materials and exam fees (for first attempts and first resits). Once your exams have been successfully completed, and on becoming eligible to apply for full membership, we also fund the initial ICAEW admission fee and annual subscription charges too.
You will receive a full study package, including paid time off to attend tuition and revision courses, and time off to sit the exams for all first attempts.
But your professional qualification is only part of the story at bennettbrooks.
What training will I get at bennettbrooks?
We support all our Graduates with a hybrid approach to training and development, including classroom study, on the job training, 1:1 coaching, and soft skills training.
You will also be supported by a student counsellor to keep your career and aspirations on track. Every new member of the team is also allocated a buddy to help support you to settle into the team and navigate your first year with us.
From the start of your training contract, you will be working directly with clients, getting to know their businesses and understanding their challenges. You will be encouraged to take responsibility at the earliest opportunity.
By working alongside the teams at bennettbrooks you will develop skills and technical knowledge on a wide range of functions, that could include accounts preparation for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies, using a range of tools such as cloud bookkeeping packages and apps, VAT, personal tax and corporate tax assignments.
Alternatively, joining the audit team provides the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects, ranging from a few days to a few weeks in length. You will also get hands-on experience using cutting-edge audit software with powerful data analytics capabilities to perform audits for both limited companies and charities.
What do trainees enrolled in the Graduate Academy earn?
We offer a competitive starting salary of £25,200 per annum, which increases as you successfully complete each stage of the exam process.
Life at bennettbrooks
We pride ourselves on creating a friendly, welcoming and hard-working environment for all of our employees to thrive in – offering great facilities, training and benefits, including company and team events and away days. We are always working towards creating a better future for everyone who works for us, alongside us and those we act for.
We also understand that everyone is different and where we can, do our best to be agile and tailor experiences to the individual – we appreciate that no-one’s journey to becoming a qualified Chartered Accountant is the same.
Don’t just take it from us, read how our past and current graduates have found training and working at bennettbrooks.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate:
- A strong work ethic; the desire to get things done
- Great interpersonal skills; the ability to build strong internal and client relationships
- Analytical skills; the ability to accurately and diligently assimilate information, grasp concepts quickly, research and solve problems.
- Independence and initiative; the ability to think critically, challenge when appropriate, and to apply professional scepticism.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Excel
- Attention to detail
- Strong time-management skills
- Effective communication skills (written and verbal)
Candidates must also be:
- Responsible and trustworthy
- Able to use their initiative
- Hardworking and keen to learn
- Aligned with the bennettbrooks culture and values
Strong academic performance is an important indicator of success in completing the ACA exams; but, we understand that things don’t always go to plan. Our recruitment process looks at the individual academic achievements as well as other experiences in which you have grown and developed. We balance your academic results alongside the aptitude assessment within our recruitment process to ensure that you will be successful in your role with us. Â
What is the application process?
All candidates will be assessed on an individual basis and will follow the same application process, as follows:
- Stage 1: Submission of CV
- All CV’s will be reviewed and successful candidates will progress to the following stage(s)
- Stage 2: Phone Interview
- Following an initial phone interview with a member of our HR team, a selection of candidates will be invited to progress to the following stage
- Stage 3: Online Aptitude Test
- Candidates will be asked to complete a standardised online based aptitude test, following which they may be invited to progress to Stage 4 of the process
- Stage 4: Assessment Day
- Candidates will be invited to spend either a morning or afternoon at the bennettbrooks Head Office in Northwich to take part in our Graduate Academy Assessment Day. The candidates will be given multiple exercises to complete, aimed at getting to know each of the candidates better and assessing how they perform at relevant tasks (this may include both group and individual tasks). The Assessment Day will also include a 1-2-1 interview with one of the Directors at bennettbrooks.
- Stage 5: Official Offers
- Following the Graduate Academy Assessment Day, successful candidates will be sent a formal job offer.
We understand that some candidates may be applying with exemptions from some of the exams required to gain your ACA Qualification, if you believe that you are (or may be) exempt from some of the exams, please do specify this on your cover letter. Any possible exemptions will not influence your application.
How can I apply?
Please email your CV and cover letter to hr@bennettbrooks.co.uk
Application end date: Rolling, for a mid August 2024 start date
