Umair Ahmed

Name: Umair Ahmed
Club 21 Employer: Mazars LLP / Ernst and Young LLP
Degree Subject: BAcc Accountancy with Finance
Year of Graduation: 2009

As I am currently pursuing an accountancy degree and have previous customer service experience, I was interested in looking for work experience related to my field of study. I found the Club 21 application process to be very straightforward and helpful.

In 2007 I applied through Club 21 to Mazars LLP in Edinburgh for a summer placement. After successfully passing the interview stage, I worked for a period of twelve weeks as a Tax Compiler in the Personal Tax Department. My duties involved preparing tax returns and compilations and giving advice to clients in liaison with the tax teams in Edinburgh and London. This placement gave me a taste of what it is like to be a personal tax accountant. Having had such a wonderful experience with Mazars LLP in summer 2007, I applied through Club 21 to Ernst and Young LLP for another summer placement in 2008. I was successful, and was selected for a six week placement as a Corporate Tax Advisor at Ernst and Young in Manchester.

My role as a Corporate Tax Advisor was to provide advice to clients and to find the best possible ways to save them money. It was a great opportunity as it allowed me to interact with various clients from an extensive range of industries. Having been assigned such responsibilities I learned how to use my initiative and developed good leadership skills.   

I was enlightened by the information that I gained on diverse aspects of corporate taxation and attended seminars at offices in other cities like Birmingham and Leeds. Here the interns were grouped together to work in a team on several research projects which were then presented before the partners and managers of the company. This activity enhanced my problem solving, team working and decision making skills. My experience at Ernst and Young LLP has been phenomenal. It has introduced me to a new world of possibilities and has inspired me to specialise in the field of accountancy as a future career. After successfully completing the summer placement at Ernst and Young LLP, I was also offered a graduate job as a Corporate Tax Trainee along with the opportunity to complete my chartered accountancy and tax qualifications.

I am highly obliged to Club 21 for selecting me as one of the candidates for these summer placements. A Club 21 placement motivates students to apply knowledge gained from academia into practical business and provides you with an opportunity to explore the world beyond study.