We had a chat with Alex to find out more about her tax role at RSM. Find out her insights into what the challenges and highlights of a career in tax are and her top tips for anyone looking to apply to RSM.
What do you do at RSM?
I’m a partner and I head up the audit practice in Scotland and North England, leading a team of about 200 employees and 20 partners. Our goal is to deliver a high-quality, robust audit to clients in a wide variety of sectors to help them fulfil statutory obligations and achieve their goals.
What does that involve on a day-to-day basis?
No two days are the same, but typically I’ll spend time working with clients, meeting with teams to make sure they’re working well, and networking to ensure our client base keeps growing.
How long have you been part of the network?
I joined the firm in 1996 as a graduate trainee and qualified as a chartered accountant three years later. The onus was very much on me to work hard and prove what I could do, but the firm supported me in all my efforts and ultimately I was rewarded by becoming partner less than ten years later.
What do you like best about the firm?
The way RSM approaches its clients and people is genuinely different to other firms. We invest a huge amount of time really getting to know our clients and believe that the relationship should be one of trusted adviser, not provider of compliance services. We also push our people to go as far as they can right from the outset - the career development opportunities we offer are unparalleled in the accountancy world at the moment.
It’s also a friendly place to work: I count some of the people I've met at the firm amongst my very best friends. I now know a huge number of partners from the north of the country right down to the south, and I can call on their help when I need it.
Why did you choose RSM?
I think you get a really good, rounded training that helps you reach your long-term goals. Our focus on the middle market also means we have a chance to really get to grips with our clients’ businesses and understand their strategies from an early stage. I'm not sure that’s something you get at larger firms and perhaps equally I don't think you have the same challenges and businesses to deal with in some of the smaller ones, so it’s a perfect match from that perspective.
What’s your top tip for success?
Work hard and you can achieve your career ambitions. The people who perform the best are able to progress as quickly as their talents allow.