As part of the Inside Careers series of Employer Q&As, leading accountancy firm Mazars will be answering questions submitted by you.
About Mazars
Mazars are an international, integrated, transparent and independent organisation specialising in audit, accountancy, tax, legal, and advisory services. The Group has a presence in over 70 countries and draws on the expertise of 15,000 professionals.
From the first day you arrive at Mazars, you will be welcomed with rewarding work, a good client list and supportive colleagues – all the crucial ingredients you need to inspire and educate you as you study for your qualification.
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The questions
Do you have opportunities available to mature prospective employees who have relevant skills in different fields but are now interested in career change into Tax? If so what route would you suggest those prospects?➜
What skills do you look for in candidates?➜
Are there any international opportunities available to successful candidates? ➜
Will I be able to transfer between different offices around the UK? ➜
Can I apply for multiple locations/training schemes at the same time? ➜
When is your graduate intake, do you have more than one per year? ➜
I don’t have much experience in Finance, how do I know which area is best suited to me, for example; Tax, Audit, Internal Audit or Financial Planning? ➜
Are there any application restrictions? ➜
If you could give 1 tip to applicants what would it be? ➜
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The answers
Do you have opportunities available to mature prospective employees who have relevant skills in different fields but are now interested in career change into Tax? If so what route would you suggest those prospects?
We don’t have an age limit on our graduate or school leaver training schemes, so anyone is welcome to apply! If you would like a career change and are interested in gaining an accountancy qualification, you could go through a graduate or school leaver training scheme (depending on your academic qualifications).
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What skills do you look for in candidates?
We want driven professional individuals who excel at working with others, who have the ability to communicate at a high level and who share the same values as Mazars. Alongside this you must be able to demonstrate analytical skills, commitment, drive, commercial awareness, flexibility and creativity.
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Are there any international opportunities available to successful candidates?
Yes. We can second people to offices all around the world, including France, Spain, US and Australia. Secondments are popular, so you’ll need to perform well when you’re here and get your language skills up to scratch, if required. Secondments are also rare before qualification, but you might have to travel abroad on business to international clients before you qualify.
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Will I be able to transfer between different offices around the UK?
Unfortunately it is not our policy to allow students to transfer to another office once they have been offered a training contract with the office of their choice, or for students to transfer offices during their training contracts. However, we will look into this on a case by case basis.
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Can I apply for multiple locations/training schemes at the same time?
You will only be able to submit one application. If your first choice is filled then we will contact you and ask you whether you wish to transfer to another role/office.
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When is your graduate intake, do you have more than one per year?
Our graduate training schemes commence in September each year. Occasionally a training position may become available to join one of our offices at a different time in the year and we will advertise this on our website.
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I don’t have much experience in Finance, how do I know which area is best suited to me, for example; Tax, Audit, Internal Audit or Financial Planning?
First, we would recommend that you do thorough research into the different career paths available. Make use of employee case studies in the meet our people section and other sections on our graduate careers microsite, corporate website and other relevant websites. You’ll learn more about the type of challenges you could face on a daily basis. It’s also a great way to get you thinking about kind of things you’ll need to prepare for your interview, and how you can demonstrate the kind of skills and behaviours we look for. Your choice over which programme you’d like to apply to should therefore be based on what you’re interested in.
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Are there any application restrictions?
We have minimum academic entry requirements, so please check the job description before applying to a role.
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If you could give 1 tip to applicants what would it be?
My main tip would be proofread, proofread, proofread! Have a trusted friend or teacher read through your application for errors before submitting.
Also, make sure you do your research into the firm and its values – make sure they resonate with you.
If you want to find out more about what its like to work for Mazars check out the profiles of some of their employees:
Internal Auditor
Assistant Tax Manager
Tax Summer Intern
