Do the math and follow the path

“If you’re walking down the right path, and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.” These are the words of former US President Barack Obama.

Catherine Livingstone thumbnailBut they could have been written for Catherine Livingstone. That’s because one of the key things that first attracted Catherine to accountancy was its structured career path.

After graduating from university with a BA in Accountancy, she was offered a training contract with long-established firm Wylie & Bisset LLP and, apart from a brief break, has been there for 15 years.

Recently promoted to director level, she says the firm provides business advisory and support services to clients across a wide range of public and private sectors.

“Throughout my career here there’s been the opportunity to aim for and progress to a higher level – and I enjoy being in a challenging environment in which people want you to do well and realise your potential,” she says.

After 11 years in the corporate team working for audit clients, which involved frequent travel, she progressed to manager level and now specialises in the SME sector, where the firm provides a range of services – ranging from compliance services and year-end accounts to tax and VAT returns, plus advice on a sweep of areas.

For Catherine, this means dealing with companies with a turnover of a few thousand pounds to £10 million, though the majority are in the £1 million or under category. “I’m working with a huge variety of businesses and no two days are the same, as I’m constantly seeing different people,” she says.

She values the fact accountancy involves long-term relationships with clients.

“The majority of new business we win is via referrals from current clients, friends and business contacts, especially in the SME sector, so it’s important to maintain a close association with them and build on these relationships.

“These are people we don’t just see at the end of their financial year – we make sure we are proactive and approach them with advice when we think that is relevant,” she adds.

Recently, this has involved ensuring her clients are ready for ‘Making Tax Digital’, providing advice that will not only meet HMRC’s requirements but will help improve and automate clients’ accounting systems.

Some of them, unsurprisingly, have found the prospect a little daunting.

“Many businesses have not had time to engage with the digital changes, as they are facing other challenges in the current climate, and we have significantly increased our client base in terms of VAT return services, with the digital systems automating the process and making it more efficient,” she says.

There are, she points out, other advantages in going digital: “It gives us the opportunity to provide clients with additional services because those who historically had a spreadsheet or hand-written cash book didn’t really know what the financial position of their business was until the end of the year.

“Now the digital advances mean they have up-to-date information on a regular basis, which allows for improved tax planning and enables them to make better decisions throughout the year.”

With flexible working arrangements that help as a mother of young children and a focus on personal and career development, Catherine envisages continuing her career in accountancy with Wylie & Bisset.

“There are always new challenges, there is always encouragement and support – and there is commitment to promotion from within the firm,” she says. “Add to that the sheer variety and range of people I meet . . . well, accountancy is not a career I can imagine ever being bored with.”

If you, too, would like a career that you’re never going to be bored with, why not take a look at what jobs are on offer in accountancy and financial services on s1jobs?