Day 1:
After being introduced to everyone in the office, I was able to see how Year End accounts are produced for different clients. It was very interesting to see how what I learn in lessons at school is presented in a real-life situation.
Throughout the day I began to work independently after being shown how to use Xero, the main software that the team use. I was able to use Xero by cash coding for businesses which I picked up very quickly and found the software very easy to use. I was also introduced to Receipt Bank and later in the day I was able to match information from the receipt or invoice onto the app and assigning the correct tax amount and codes to the receipt. After working independently, I have found it to be a very useful app and I can see how much easier communication between the client and accountant can be with the advancement of technology.
Day 2:
Arriving into the office on a Tuesday morning was much less nerve-racking than Monday, and I was excited to see what the day was going to hold. In the morning I worked independently using Receipt Bank and helped the team catch up on receipts and invoices that needed to be published. I now feel much more confident using Receipt Bank and have a good understanding of the goods where VAT can be claimed back. I was also doing bookkeeping for different clients using Xero, this allowed me to become more confident with the software and see the different tools which are included.
In the afternoon, I filled in sales for a client on Excel, which was a software I was much more confident with. Afterwards, I uploaded receipts and invoices on Receipt Bank for the Blu Sky team and then published the receipts throughout the rest of the afternoon.
Towards the end of the day I re-coded sales using Xero and I am now much more comfortable using both Xero and Receipt Bank due to the independent work that I was able to do over the past two days.
Day 3:
As this was my last day in the office, the day was much more relaxed, and I began the day by using Xero and reconciled a bank account by matching the bank statement with the sales that were made for each month. In the afternoon I was able to independently use Receipt Bank and clear any receipts for different clients. Reflecting on the last couple of days, I have learnt a lot from the team and I have been much more productive than I expected to be. My knowledge of different aspects included in accounting have expanded and I have a better idea of what a career in accounting would entail.
I would like to say thank you to the team as they have been very friendly and have made the last few days very enjoyable. I would highly recommend anyone to come to Blu Sky for work experience because you are given much more independence and it does not only consist of shadowing. I am now certain that I want to pursue a career in accounting and I hope to return in the future.
