Briony James -Finance Assistant

Why did you choose to go into Finance/Accounting?

Before joining the UHS finance team I had consciously taken time to re-assess my career direction.  After chatting to friends who worked in finance, I decided that this would be a good direction for me to take.   I felt it would be a good fit for my skill set and offered the opportunity to develop and progress. 

How have you found your apprenticeship at UHS?  What was the learning environment like?

I have found undertaking an apprenticeship at UHS busy and full of opportunities to learn.  I have worked with a variety of different teams within the department.  This has been valuable in helping me to fully understand what each team does and how they contribute to the department overall as well as providing a great knowledge base to support my studies.  This breadth of experience helps me to add value to the teams that I work with.

It’s really nice to work in an environment where staff development and learning are so actively encouraged, a sense of achievement and progression definitely contributes to my job satisfaction.  I’m also grateful to the mentors that I have worked with, they’ve provided support and advice as well as alternative perspective.

How do you see your Accounting career/journey developing?

Currently my focus is performing well within my role as well as pursuing my professional qualifications.  Continuing to gain experience across the department will help me to narrow down what I most enjoy so that I can focus on this direction in future.

What quality do you need to be an accountant/someone within finance?

Of course, it’s important to be trustworthy, honest and dependable.
I think that having a good eye for detail, being adaptable and able to manage your own time efficiently are also very important qualities.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

For me, the idea that I can contribute to something more socially valuable than a company’s profit provides satisfaction.  Even though my part in this may be small and indirect, I am proud to think that my role supports the amazing services that UHS provide.

Working at UHS, I have found I am able to be a part of a hugely diverse organisation that makes a real difference to the lives of so many.

Being a part of the finance/accounting team at UHS, I have had the opportunity to work with experienced, passionate people from a range of professional backgrounds whilst gaining exposure to a huge breadth of aspects of accountancy and finance.

Being an apprentice at UHS, I have learnt an awful lot!  Not just about day-to-day operations within finance but also the hospital and complexities of the NHS as a whole.