Meet our first intern Jodie

Join us in welcoming our 4th hire and first-ever intern at Anderson & Edwards, Jodie Archibald.

Jodie is a 4th year Accountancy and Finance student at Heriot-Watt University, with a strong interest in working with numbers and analytics; handling finances for small and large companies; and reading in her spare time.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I initially chose to study accounting as I had always found working with numbers and analytical work to be a strong point for me throughout school.

Since starting my degree and getting a better understanding of accountancy, I’ve been interested in learning how small and large companies operate and handle their finances. This is what motivated me to look for an internship - to gain first-hand experience and a more thorough understanding of the sector.

What attracted you to work for Anderson & Edwards?

I noticed that in the job description they mentioned a 'not so corporate environment' which made them stand out from a lot of the other companies I had considered applying for. They can also offer experience in both accountancy and tax which is a bonus - I found a lot of internships either included one or the other but never both.

What's your biggest learning point so far (one month in!)?

I'd say so far it has definitely been getting familiar with all the accounting software that we use. Before starting at Anderson & Edwards, I never realised how much you can do through software such as Xero and CCH. It has definitely taken me a while to get used to, but it’s worthwhile having hands-on experience of them before graduating.

What do you enjoy most about applying theory to an internship?

Applying theory that I remember learning at the beginning of uni (in first or second year). It feels so long ago that I learned some of the content, so being able to refresh my memory and apply what I know in a whole new context has really helped my understanding.

The thing that has shocked you most about working in the industry?

How accounts and tax returns can dramatically vary depending on the industry a client works in, and how much property or land they own. This means that no two jobs I do feel the same or repetitive.

I was pleasantly surprised by how both Jamie and Dean have approached teaching me about some of the jobs they do on a daily basis. As someone who is very new to this kind of environment, I appreciate their ability to both talk me through a task and give me clear instructions so that I can complete them on my own. It has relieved any nerves I previously had about being in a corporate environment, and has constantly reassured me that if I have any issues I have great support to fall back on.

Any fun/non-work related perks about working with James and Dean?

James and Dean have been so welcoming from the start, taking me out for lunch on my first day which I thought was lovely and definitely helped settle my nerves as well as get to know them better. They also regularly treat me to coffees and have even let me away early sometimes on extra sunny days (although I've been told not to get too used to that!).

I look forward to starting my career in accounting and seeing how this experience turns out!

Jodie has been learning and helping us with a mix of admin and client work. We're excited that Jodie joined the team this summer and hope to see her again very soon!

Do you have a question for Jodie? Ask her here