Trainee Accountant/Bookkeeper

ProTalent; Hailsham; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Study support

Flexible and remote working

Job summary

ProTalent in East Sussex is seeking a Trainee Accountant who will visit client premises, build relationships and learn how client businesses actually run. You’ll handle bookkeeping tasks while developing a deep understanding of client needs and industry specifics.

You will work closely with a small, tech-driven practice that values client relationships, offering study support and hands-on responsibility from early on.

Qualifications

• Interest in working with small businesses, not just the numbers.
• Confident talking to people and comfortable making calls.
• Organised and accurate, able to juggle several clients.

Responsibilities

• Manage your own group of clients by phone, email and face to face.
• Visit clients on site to review records and discuss how things are going.
• Day to day bookkeeping, VAT returns and Making Tax Digital work.
• Get to grips with what each client does and what keeps them busy.

Skills

Communication skills

Driving licence

Organisation

Willing to study

Education

AAT qualification started/completed

Job description

Trainee Accountant | East Sussex | Study support, flexible and remote working

Most trainee roles start you behind a desk with a pile of bank recs and a promise that you'll meet a client eventually.

This one doesn't work like that. You'll be out visiting clients at their premises, sitting down with business owners, and getting to know how their businesses actually run. The bookkeeping matters, obviously. But the firm wants someone who cares about the client behind the numbers.

A growing chartered firm in East Sussex is looking for a Trainee Accountant. They're a small, tech-driven practice that deliberately built their service around client relationships, at a time when a lot of the market is going the other way. A good chunk of their client base sits in the motor trade, so you'll build genuine specialist knowledge alongside your general practice grounding.

What you'll be doing

• Looking after your own group of clients, by phone, email and face to face
• Visiting clients on site to work on their records and talk through how things are going
• Day to day bookkeeping, VAT returns and Making Tax Digital work
• Getting to grips with what each client actually does and what's keeping them busy
• Preparing management information and helping out with year end as you develop

What they're looking for

• Someone genuinely interested in small business, not just in the numbers
• Confident talking to people and happy to pick up the phone
• Organised and accurate, able to juggle several clients
• A full driving licence and access to a car, as the client visits are the heart of the job
• Willing to commit to studying
• Previous bookkeeping or accounts experience is useful, and AAT started or completed would be a bonus, but neither is essential. Attitude matters more here.

What's on offer

• Full study support towards a professional qualification
• Flexible and remote working
• Real client responsibility early on rather than years of waiting your turn
• A small team where you'll learn directly from qualified people

If you want a training role where you're treated as part of the client relationship from day one, this is worth a look