At Baker Tilly Mooney Moore, we are celebrating Apprenticeship Week by shining a light on our own apprentices. Joining us today is Patrick McGeary, who joined the firm directly from school and is in the first year of his apprenticeship, spending one day a week at Ulster University and four days a week with Baker Tilly Mooney Moore through the BSc (Hons) Accounting with Management Degree Apprenticeship programme.
Why did you choose an apprenticeship and why did you choose accountancy?
An apprenticeship lets you gain invaluable experience in an office environment straight out of school. On top of this, you’re earning as you’re learning and you’re gaining soft skills such as communication and teamwork through interaction with colleagues and clients alike.
A lot of people in my family are accountants and so accountancy seemed like a natural choice to me. Having done maths and business accountancy for my A-Levels, numbers have always been a big passion of mine and so accountancy made sense for me.
Describe the day-to-day life in your apprenticeship.
On Monday, we’re in university and we’re in the office for the other four days of the working week. There is a variety of work in the office that can range from performing audits at client sites or more office-based work. The mixture of university and the office gives you the chance to experience both the university life and the office life, giving you a chance for more hands-on learning and the opportunity to learn every day from more experienced accountants.
How have you adjusted to life in Belfast?
It was challenging at first, learning to be responsible and independent, but everything being at your doorstep makes it that bit easier. Doing the apprenticeship rather than just being a student has also made this transition easier because it’s a job with real responsibilities; in university, you might get away with being late from time to time, but you can’t do that in a job!
What are your interests outside of work and university?
Like anyone my age, I enjoy socialising with friends. I’ve also played golf since I was four and now play off a scratch handicap. In the past, I’ve participated in the Irish Junior Open and hope to play in the Irish Amateur Open this year. On top of that, I play Gaelic football for my local club, Moy Tír na nÓg, and support Liverpool in soccer. I like to travel as well and go to Turkey every summer with my family, along with skiing in Switzerland and France.
Can you tell us about your experience with the Conservation Volunteers as part of the Baker Tilly Mooney Moore team?
We worked with the Conservation Volunteers team at the Ulster Folk Museum, taking down fences to prepare the ground for the next project phase. It was good to be out and working on something a bit different with colleagues, it allowed us to bond over a shared experience of hard, physical work. It was a very motivational experience to see all of these volunteers pitching in to give back to their community and it made me want to do more of the important work that the Conservation Volunteers do.
What advice would you give to anyone considering going down the accountancy apprenticeship route?
I really recommend it. It’s been really enjoyable so far and for me surpasses what I would have gained by going the traditional route and only attending university. By going down the apprenticeship route, you’ll be much more comfortable in an office once you’ve graduated, but you still have the opportunity to live a social life. I think it makes you much more employable, giving you a four-year head start in terms of experience on people who are the same age as you.