Hello Vicky!

What tips would you give someone at school about going for an apprenticeship?

I would say to think about what you want to get out of university. At university, you need to be passionate about what you're studying. An apprenticeship lets you ‘earn while you learn’ by having your job and also studying at the same time. It's more practical. Not everyone wants to go to university and live that student life.

Will the experience be more valuable to you than just going to school and then working? Do you want to come up a level and experience office life? Or do you want to study and then work afterwards? It really depends on what you want after you finish school or college. Apprenticeships can be a great option, but you should do your research first and see what's out there.

BDO offer apprenticeship opportunities straight from school as well as offering this as part of their graduate scheme if you’re joining with a degree. This means you have the flexibility to join BDO at a time that is right for you, with equal access to the apprenticeship qualifications on offer.

I think a lot of people think you have to be a maths genius to be an accountant. But that's not true. Accountants nowadays need a wide range of skill sets. Most of the time, being good at accounting is more important than maths.