A Swindon accountant who started his career as an apprentice has completed five years of study and 13 exams to become a Chartered Certified Accountant.
James Papworth Smith joined PPS Chartered Accountants in the summer of 2018 and has completed all of his professional training while working at the Old Town firm.
He has now completed the ACCA qualification, marking a major milestone in a career which began with him answering the phones and supporting colleagues with smaller parts of client work.
James said: “I started at the bottom of the ladder as an apprentice, answering phones and being given smaller roles within bigger jobs.
"I’ve completed all of my training while I’ve been at PPS, and the team have been incredibly supportive and encouraging throughout.”
Over the last five years, James has completed 13 exams, studying through a mixture of live online courses, residential programmes and face-to-face training around the UK.
Working within PPS alongside his studies also gave him the chance to put what he was learning into practice.
He said: “If I needed help with taxation, I could speak to the payroll and tax teams. If I was unsure about audit techniques, I could be drafted into a real-world audit and actually use those skills."
James came to accountancy after previously working in education and having a science-based background. A career as an accountant had not originally been part of the plan.
He said: “Analytical thinking and being able to stand up and talk to a room of strangers turned out to be surprisingly transferable skills. Having the suits and ties already in the wardrobe didn’t hurt either.”
His final result arrived in the early hours of the morning.
“I’d fallen asleep and my phone pinged at about 3am, so initially it was a bit of a non-event. I saw I’d passed, gave myself a little nod and went back to sleep,” he said.
“When I woke up properly there was a lot of relief and happiness. Being able to call the partners that morning and tell them I’d passed my finals was a really good feeling.”
During his time at PPS, James has gradually taken on more responsibility, including management accounting work and helping clients solve problems around international trade.
He particularly enjoys the variety that comes with working with businesses from different sectors.
“One of my favourite parts of the job is taking a random call on a Wednesday which turns into a meeting, then a new client, and suddenly you’re learning about a business and a sector you’ve never really encountered before,” he said.
“Then, when they call again, you’re interested to see what’s coming next.”
Sally Holland, Partner at PPS Chartered Accountants, said: “We’re really proud of James and it’s been lovely to celebrate this with him.
“He’s built great relationships with clients and has become someone they know they can pick up the phone to when they need help.
"We’re looking forward to seeing where he takes his career next, although I think we’ll let him enjoy having no exams to worry about for a little while first!”
James plans to enjoy having a break from exams and spending more time with his toddler before deciding what comes next professionally.
He said: “A qualification this long is taxing, and not just on the person sitting the exams, so a sincere thank you to everyone who has played a part in getting me here.”
PPS Chartered Accountants offers accounting, tax and business advisory services to businesses and individuals across Wiltshire and beyond. For more information, visit https://www.ppsacc.co.uk/
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