Rebecca Singleton

I joined Frank Hirth on the graduate scheme in September 2006 after completing my degree in Accounting and Finance. With little knowledge of US taxation, the initial two-week training course was a great foundation in my understanding of the role as a tax assistant as well as enabling me to build close relationships with my fellow graduates.

I initially chose to work at Frank Hirth because of its friendly and informal atmosphere, and the firm remains the same despite its continual growth. There is contact with people at all levels, and the ‘buddy’ system for new employees helps the settling in period enormously. We have various social functions throughout the year, which are a great opportunity to get to know everyone.

I have a varied workload from day to day and am exposed to several different areas of tax, both within the US and UK spectrum. I have recently started to review returns, as well as continuing to prepare, so I am now able to see jobs through from start to finish from a slightly more senior perspective. I have also been heavily involved in providing input into the implementation of new software over the last 6 months, which has given me a chance to offer my opinion and suggestions for development.

From early on in my career at Frank Hirth I was given the opportunity to build client relationships; I now have a number of clients that I manage, and for whom I am the first point of contact. I am therefore able to deal with them on a much more personal level. This has helped me develop my role within the firm and move towards providing more advisory services to the clients I deal with rather than just standard compliance.

I am currently studying for professional exams, which not only helps my career progression but is also a great learning curve as I can put theory into action in the workplace. The company puts a lot of investment in their employees and is keen for individuals to develop.