General Accounts Assistant Review

My placement with Lumesse has been such a valuable experience. It has given me the opportunity to develop skills in a way that a degree alone can not. The year has had it's challenges both in terms of the work and my personal circumstances, but it's all been character building.

The finance team are the perfect bunch of mixed personalities. There is never a dull day and you are guaranteed to laugh every day! The work atmosphere is professional yet relaxed and every one is very friendly. Everyone talks to everyone no matter which department you work in. I have truly made friends for life at Lumesse.

My manager trusts me to work independently, however she always there if I ever have any questions no matter how important they are. If there is ever an occasion she is not around (lunch break) and I need something urgently the rest of the team are always willing to help.

There have been occasional days when things have been relatively quiet but there is always something that needs doing. If I ever have absolutely nothing to do, which is very rare, all I have to do is ask my supervisor and she will find me a project to work on. Usually if I have a short period of quietness I will use my time to learn new skills. The company has a fantastic new platform called me:time where we can use credits to learn all sorts of things!

I was giving lots of responsibility right from the start. I was looking after 7 entities of mixed currencies and my work was checked in the same way as all other full time employees by a review of the Profit and Loss statement. I would do this review myself first to check nothing had been missed, and my manager would later check all the P&Ls for all entities. 6 months in I was giving a huge responsibility of being trained to help Accounts Payable with just a weeks training. It was a fantastic learning experience, allowing me to learn and work under immense pressure.

My computing skills were good before I started at Lumesse, however the work I've been required to do has helped me learn many keyboard shortcuts and new IT skills that enable me to work much quicker. Having a greater understanding of accounting within a business environment will enable me to reflect better on what I learn during my final year at university, helping me continue to achieve great grades.

Everyone that works at Lumesse is very friendly. You can not make a cup of tea without bumping into a friendly face and having a brief natter. The people are professional and work focused, however there is a great balance of focus and general conversation. If you ever have any problems, there will always be someone around willing to look after you.

Right back to my first day everything was well prepared. Our first morning was induction focused and everything was well organised and went according to the time plan we were resented with at the start of the day. There was a minor issue with my laptop but it was dealt with very quickly by the IT team.

As a company the specialises in HR technology, we have access to a platform called me:time where we can develop both work focused and personal focused training. We also have the "learning hub" with a range of courses available to look at during any spare time at work, or even in your own time at home.

I would love to return to work here at Lumesse with such lovely employees and a pleasant atmosphere, however I personally plan to look for a graduate placement within the audit and assurance industry so it's unlikely I'll ever return (at least not for work, I'm sure I'll be popping in to say hello)

The company organise regular quiz nights and social events. Internally in the office there is a Pool tournament and a games console tournament to promote social inclusion. The placements students have been out for dinners and drinks after work some Fridays. HR also run skill sessions for the placement students which brings us altogether. In November the interns arranged to participate in a 5K inflatable obstacle course in aid of cancer research!

As a mature student, I already lived in Luton so there was little difference to my expenses for this year. Having close links to London, Luton isn't the cheapest area to live, however there are lots of reasonably priced places around. There is a selection of supermarkets including Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Iceland, Lidl and Aldi. There are lots of nice pubs, but unfortunately there aren't many clubs around.

There are many lovely places to eat in and around Luton. There are lots of pubs, however Luton does lack any outstanding clubs. There is a club called Edge. However if you are looking for a fantastic night out, you can easily hop on the train to st. albans, book a hotel and enjoy a night at Batchwood club.

As already mentions, the company holds quiz nights, a pool tournament and games tournaments. We've enjoyed a few team meals including our Christmas dinner and summer BBQ. The quiz nights usually have a good turn out with a lively atmosphere. There is also some form of event on the horizon.