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Accountants in waiting: our talented part-qualified team members update us on their progress

The progressive nature of accountancy means that you never stop learning. Even when fully qualified, all our accountants undergo continuous professional development to make sure we are totally up to speed with the latest developments and technologies in our field.

At CRM, we are very proud to support and fund our new employees to work through the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) qualifications to become fully-fledged accountants at their own pace. It takes a few years of committed study and practice to achieve the qualifications and three of our team are nearing the end of their training.

We are proud to celebrate Loren, Kate and Jake’s achievements and we asked them to describe their journey:

Loren Forbes

I joined CRM in 2018 after a few years working in the banking sector. I worked with business and personal customers and I decided that I wanted to steer away from a large corporate into an environment where I could understand a business’s issues and help to resolve them. I’ve been taking my ACCA exams alongside Kate as we started at a similar time, so it’s great to have the support of a colleague – when I’m not sure of something, Kate can often help.

It’s been challenging to study during the pandemic as the teaching moved online which I found more difficult. I’m pleased that I can return to the Reed Business School near Moreton in Marsh for my last couple of exams and professional evaluation tests at the end of this year, then I will hopefully be fully qualified.

At CRM I really enjoy working with my teammates in the office, although I have quite a long commute so I’m lucky to be able to work from home two days a week. I also work with our commercial manager to network around the county and I’m involved in developing the company’s social media profile, both skills that I developed working at the bank and am pleased to contribute at CRM.

As well as studying hard, I have taken on a rescue cat who is slowly learning to trust me. I like nothing better than curling up with my cat and a good book!

Kate Thomas

I’ve been at CRM for more than four years now, having worked in various retail and customer services roles after graduating in Mathematics. My experience in customer services helped me realise that I wanted a future in accountancy. I started the ACCA course after about a year at CRM and there are lots of modules to work through, starting with accounting and law but after the initial introduction, you can take the modules at your own speed, either one or two at a time.

I’ve got two more modules to study, with exams in December and some professional evaluation to complete and then I’ll be fully qualified. I’ve found the CRM team to be very supportive and helpful if I’m ever stuck on an accountancy matter. I was pleased to return to the office after COVID and be able to pick the brains of the senior accountants who oversee our work and take a keen interest in our progress.

I can’t wait until we can travel abroad again and I’m currently saving up for a trip to Canada, somewhere I’ve always wanted to explore.

Jake Ormrod

I joined CRM after my A Levels in 2018. I enjoyed studying Business and didn’t want to go to university so working in accountancy where I can get a good qualification suits me the best. I am taking one ACCA module at a time so that I can focus on each and allow for any slip-ups. I’ll have my last four modules to complete in 2022 and hope to be fully qualified by the end of next year.

I prefer to work in the office rather than at home but I do my ACCA studying at home, I’ve got used to learning via Teams. I was proud to be asked to be a mentor for one of our newest recruits, Jess. It’s great to be able to guide someone through the same process I’ve been through. At CRM we are all given real tasks to work on and these get more challenging as we gain knowledge and experience.

As well as enjoying fitness and going to the gym, in my spare time, I’m working on an entrepreneurial venture that I set up with some friends to sell sportswear online. The knowledge I’m gaining through my ACCA qualification and the practical experience from my hobby venture are helping me to appreciate the journey to being an accountant at CRM.

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