Our Finance Intern Andy is leaving us!

It is time to say goodbye to Andrew Stroud, our Finance Intern, who has been with us for the last 12 months as part of his university program. Precise Consultants would like to say thank you to Andrew for his incredible work and commitment during this time and we wish him all the best at his last year of University. Andrew kindly shared some of his thoughts about his experience at Precise Consultants. Read now to find out!

Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself? 

I am currently doing a Business Management and Accountancy course at the University of Hertfordshire. I grew up in Colchester but now live in Witham in Essex. And I just finished my placement year with Precise. 

Why did you choose to complete your placement year internship at Precise Consultants?

I was looking for a company that would push the boundaries of my understanding and allow me to thrive and learn. When I was researching which one, Precise caught my eye for a number of reasons - it has a very good momentum, it’s small and it’s progressive. There was something about the way they presented the opportunity which made me think I would be a good fit. 

Did the internship meet your expectations?

It’s exceeded it, to be honest. I really liked the idea of joining a smaller company as the work environment would be more intimate with people communicating a lot more rather than a big one where there’d be 30 people working in one department, just doing that single job. I knew I’d end up getting smaller things to do with less responsibility – but here, I was given much more responsibility.

And the atmosphere of the office is fantastic. I was instantly greeted with a warm welcome from day one and made to feel like I’d been there for years. The first impression was incredible. I was obviously a bit nervous, but the team immediately made me feel at ease. 

How has your experience been working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic? 

During COVID-19, I found the transition fairly easy to deal with. I had years at uni so was used to working from home mentality. Precise had a good technology set-up as well which made the change pretty seamless which helped a lot. Saying that - while at first, it was very nice, after a while I did find it gets to your head. One of my routines was going into the office, leaving at 6 and going to the gym – but it’s been shut during the lockdown and I really missed having that bookend to the day. I find I’m probably busier than ever, working longer hours and not getting out as much to exercise as I would have done before – something I think most of us have experienced.

Do you feel the work placement was a valuable experience for your studies and career?

It’s given me a good taste of working life within the city, especially with the insight about what’s expected in the day-to-day of working within a small finance team. I had so much more responsibility, which was fantastic. I learned a lot from that because I was doing it in a very supportive space. I was encouraged to stretch myself – things like presenting to the directors which were daunting but felt great afterward!  

What was your favourite part of working here?

The work environment and the atmosphere – it is so friendly. Especially where communication is key. There is such a good mentality of being productive and then knowing your efforts have been acknowledged and appreciated.

What are the top 3 things that you have learned during this placement year at Precise Consultants?

• Prioritising – when you have got multiple deadlines, you want to get them all done by the deadline rather than only deliver one to an exceptional standard and see the rest fall by the wayside.

• Time-management – you think you know how to do it, but when you get to the end of the month and you’ve got various clients with different invoicing instructions you really find out if you can! I set up a strict schedule to organise my time, starting the week with checking emails from the weekend, making sure account managers are up to date, chasing clients for information – you do not just do one task!

• Increasing knowledge - I really advanced my financial knowledge – I’d used SAGE before, Precise uses XERO and now I’ve got my head around two different types of accounting software which is so useful for the future.

What accomplishments (during your internship) are you most proud of?

Being given the responsibility to tackle problems in projects and building trust with Sami and Derya. Obviously, they oversaw what I was doing but once I proved myself, I could send my reports straight to the directors and that felt really good. I also enjoyed having the flexibility to devise financial moves for the company to save or make money or change the functionality of the company. 

How would you describe the company culture?

It is very caring for its employees, which is very important. The culture motivates people to perform at our best. I think it is why it’s been such a successful company. Not only are we focused on getting the job done but the well-being of employees is as important. 

What advice would you give the next intern (or any intern considering a placement at Precise Consultants)?

Do not be worried about asking questions – even if they are silly. Precise is so friendly and being an intern, our knowledge just will not be as good as the rest of the team. Learn from them. 

If you could change one thing about Precise Consultants what would it be? (be honest!)

An additional hire to the finance team! ha – as the company grows, there is potential there to be overwhelmed at the end of month. 

What’s next for Andrew?

Originally, I should have finished in July, but I was asked to stay on for a bit and am now working until the end of August. I will finish university after that and then hopefully make my way back to London. My goal is to be a CFO one day – whether Precise is along that path, we will wait to see.

Anything you would like to say to the team at Precise Consultants?

This has been a huge step towards my career so a big thank you to the team for giving me a great experience and welcoming me to the family. Even though it has only been a year – I feel like it’s been much longer. I hope it will not be the last time our paths cross. 

A big thank you to Pete and Adam – I am sure Precise will be standing strong for many years because of the culture in the workplace which they have created. They are fantastic leaders. 

Sami was the best mentor – he taught me so many things, he has been invaluable. And Derya for being the busiest person I’ve ever met but manages to get everything done on time. Thanks to her for finding my application and helping me to fit in. And everyone else – for the way they are and how they help each other – it is easily the best team I’ve ever worked with!

Read more here.