Calum Collister – A day in the life

Your name and job title
Calum Collister, ACA Trainee Accountant.

Did you enter the profession as a school leaver, graduate, or through another route?
I completed a degree in Business Management on the island.

What career did you imagine for yourself when you were younger?
I was never sure what I wanted to do during school. However, my degree gave me exposure to different aspects of business, and by the end of the three years I found myself leaning towards a finance-based role. I completed work placements in both investments and accountancy, and ultimately decided to pursue accountancy.

What qualifications/training do you need for your role?
Most ACA trainees tend to join with a degree. School leavers would typically begin as a CAT trainee before progressing on to ACCA or ACA.

What do you enjoy most about working at CM Partners?
There are plenty of things I enjoy about working at CM. My colleagues are great, and there are many approachable senior staff members that I can go to with questions or issues. I also like that my workload is fairly varied – including a mix of audit, accountancy and tax compliance. This has both helped my development and kept the work interesting.

What are the most important qualities you need in your role?
Enthusiasm for learning and a willingness to ask questions are essential in accountancy. You will regularly encounter things you haven’t seen before and must either work them out or talk them through with someone more experienced. Persistence is also important – the exams are challenging, and balancing work, study, and your social life can be difficult at times.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering a career in accountancy?

Many firms on island offer internships and work experience which can be a good way to get an understanding of accountancy without committing to a full-time role.  I would also say that starting in a practice is helpful, as it gives you exposure to a wide variety of companies and structures quickly.

What makes CM Partners stand out as a place to work?
They offer a great study package using top providers and reward you for progressing through your exams. You are rarely, if ever, expected to work overtime, which is a huge benefit when studying. We also finish at 2pm on a Friday, which is particularly good in the summer.

What’s a typical day like in your role?
My day-to-day is quite varied. I spend time preparing accounts, working on audits and assurance reviews, preparing tax returns and quarterly VAT returns. Alongside this, I will contact clients to request information, answer queries, and generally keep jobs progressing. The variety keeps things interesting, and no two days are the same.

What’s one myth about accountancy you’d like to bust?
That you must be great at maths. It is certainly helpful, but in reality it’s more so about logic and problem-solving. Most of the maths is straightforward.