Despite this, I hadn’t done too much research on accountancy itself, and I was unsure if I’d just be shadowing other people for the week. I was proved wrong through a very productive experience placement! I’ve been introduced to key accountancy cloud-based applications, while learning important skills for the accounting world. I’ve also managed to sample some of the processes the team at Blu Sky go through, so I feel much more confident using the software now than on Monday.
Day 1
Monday itself was a very useful day, despite consisting of mainly shadowing. I had the processes that the accountants here go through explained to me, which was very useful for the tasks that I completed later in the week. Xero, Receipt Bank and Glide were some of the apps that I was introduced to, which was very handy, as a lot of the work that I did independently, revolved particularly around Xero and Receipt Bank. The very friendly team at Blu Sky also explained the importance of each task, including the use of Year End Reports and Management Information.
The only issue, however, was that I didn’t get the memo about uniform. I turned up in a shirt and tie, which was a bit formal for this particular office!
Day 2
Despite an informative first day, I was still debating in my head on the bus on Tuesday morning whether I’d just be shadowing for the rest of the week. However, within an hour, my worries were put to rest, as I had already started to complete various tasks myself, now in more appropriate clothing – a t-shirt and jeans! I started using Receipt Bank and Xero independently, which I was pleased about, as I had plenty to do. I was initially a bit worried about using these apps myself, as I didn’t trust myself to not make a mistake! But, with easy to follow instructions and the team always on hand to help, I quickly began to get to grips with the software.
Day 3 +
Moving through the week, I began to consolidate the basic knowledge that I’d learnt as I began to do some more detailed tasks on Xero and Receipt Bank, such as reconciling client accounts and calculating VAT. I also performed tasks using information on bank statements on excel, which was great as I already had some prior knowledge of the software. I was also able to spot different information more easily on Receipt Bank, meaning that I could make decisions easier and quicker when categorising items on this programme.
I also added subtitles to Blu Sky YouTube videos during the week, a task that I certainly didn’t expect to be doing, but one that I still enjoyed nonetheless!
All of these tasks helped me to gain a better understanding of the accounting world, as well as giving me the ability to see how Blu Sky is presented, through the YouTube videos that I edited.
Final Thoughts
I would definitely recommend Blu Sky to anyone looking to gain some experience in accountancy, as the environment in the office is very chilled and all of the team are very friendly. I’m writing this at about 2 o’clock on Friday afternoon, and have been informed that I’ll conclude my Friday afternoon here with a Mario Kart tournament – so I’m looking forward to winning that! It just proves what a relaxed environment that Blu Sky have here. I must say though, that the team here are still productive, despite being relaxed!
I would like to thank Blu Sky for a very enjoyable week and I hope to return one day!
