At Harold Sharp, we take pride in the diverse and inspiring career paths of our team members. In our spotlight interview series, we explore the journeys of our colleagues, from their initial steps toward qualification to the exciting developments that followed.
Meet Tom Smart who joined Harold Sharp in 2022 as a newly qualified accountant with a hunger for audit. Today, he plays a key role in driving growth for the audit team and is about to embark on the next chapter of his career as he pursues his RI.
Tom’s career story highlights the rewards, challenges and opportunities in the field as well as some practical advice for those navigating their own early career paths.
Breadth of experience is key
Tom’s career began following a successful work experience stint at a 12-person firm in Manchester. During his training he wore many hats – gaining exposure to accounts, audit, VAT, payroll and front-desk responsibilities.
“I threw myself into as much as I could during my training which stood me in good stead for exams. When I dipped into audit and came back, I looked at accounts in a different way which reiterates why that rounded experience is so important when you start out.”
Tom is the first to admit that he didn’t love every element of the accounting world when he started out, but pursuing a breadth of experience gave him the knowledge that enabled him to start to drill down on what he did and didn’t enjoy.
In 2022, with his feet firmly in audit, Tom joined Harold Sharp as Audit Manager. His move was driven by a desire to progress and to be a part of a much bigger team with a larger, more diverse client base.
Every interaction is an opportunity
For those still in training, Tom’s advice is simple yet impactful: “Ask the questions, get involved as much as you can, and dig deep whenever you can”.
Tom believes that curiosity and engagement are key to building expertise and confidence when you’re early on in your career. Every interaction you have at the early stage of your career is an opportunity for growth and development.
This continues even after you’ve qualified. Tom stresses the importance of regular communication with Managers as you find your feet post-qualification.
“Training is hard work. You do all the exams and work to a single goal. But once you’re qualified, the expectation is greater. Be clear with your Line Manager where you want to be. Test all avenues to get a feel for what you want out of your longer-term career.”
Tom shares that it is only natural to feel a little lost on qualifying. After all, you’ve just spent the last 4+ years dedicated to becoming accredited. There needs to be a shift in mindset as you start to consider ‘what’s next?’.
“Once you’ve finished your exams, you’ll find you suddenly have a lot more free time. That free time also frees up your mind to think about the next step.”
You are not alone when it comes to imposter syndrome
Tom didn’t shy away from acknowledging challenges like imposter syndrome as you embark on the post-qualification chapter of your career. He shared that preparation and reflection on past accomplishments can be powerful tools to overcome self-doubt.
“I’ve found it’s helpful to set aside some time before a big meeting to remind yourself that you’ve already done all the hard work and all the prep – now you’re walking into an opportunity to discuss it.”
He adds, “Sometimes those situations where you feel slightly uncomfortable are where you will see the biggest leaps in personal development. Don’t forget, you’re backed by a group of people who have put you in that position and believe in you.”
What’s next for Tom’s audit career?
Tom shared that he’s applying to be ‘RI’ – a term you may or may not be familiar with. RI stands for Responsible Individual.
“As an RI, you are responsible for signing off audits. That means you put your name on the audit, and you become personally liable if the work has not been completed in line with the audit standards.”
The RI role is central to audit work and underscores the importance of technical excellence and ethical practice. As part of this new role, his day-to-day will shift from a focus on ‘doing’ to that of reviewing and signing. In addition to adding a few extra letters to his job title, achieving RI status cements Tom’s commitment to the audit field.
And so, to finish, Tom shared why he’s got his sights set on audit for the long term.
“I really enjoy building collaborative relationships with our clients – it sounds cliché, but I’m invested in helping them get the most out of their audit so that it’s not just a tick box exercise. But the best part of my job is when you find something chunky to get your teeth into. By that I mean a complex area of accounting where a client has done something a bit strange that you don’t see very often. You get to apply a lot of your studies at that point. Coming up with a judgement and presenting it to a client – that’s really exciting!”
Tom Smart
T: 0161 905 1616
E: tjs@haroldsharp.co.uk
Each quarter our Trainee Working Group sit with a member of the team for 30 minutes of Q&A to find out about their path to progression, what made them choose accounting and why they stuck it out. Stay tuned on the Careers Hub for more stories like Tom’s.