Can you tell us a bit about your role: how do you fit into the company, and what does your day-to-day work look like?

In my role on the Research and Development team, I work with a broad range of clients across several industries including engineers, software developers, food and drink companies and architects.

My day-to-day will mostly consist of working through a client’s R&D projects and exploring them in detail to produce a report that supports the tax relief claim.  My usual process starts with taking a broad overview of all the R&D activity undertaken by the client, selecting a range of projects to give the clearest summary of their work possible and then reading around what work is usually undertaken by other professionals in the industry so I can demonstrate exactly how our clients’ projects represent an advancement in science and technology.

Over the next few months, I hope to continue taking on more responsibility within my role as I have enjoyed taking a more client facing role and personally taking clients through their R&D claims.

What was working life like for you before working at Wilby Jones?

Before working at Wilby Jones, I studied BSc (Hons) Mathematics at the University of Lincoln, finishing in the summer last year and hopefully having my graduation this September. During my degree I worked part time in retail, so it was a big change to start working in an office.

What's the best bit of working at Wilby Jones?

I enjoy a lot about my role in the company, however I mostly enjoy the opportunities we are given to learn on the job. Specialising in a small handful of industries has allowed me to gain a good understanding of general practice in each, helping to recognise where difficulty may be encountered by each client and allowing me to explain their work clearly in the reports. As somebody with a background outside of tax, the working environment at Wilby Jones has also allowed me to take on full projects on my own in a very short amount of time, without feeling overwhelmed as there is always support on hand from the rest of the team if I need it.

What do you do to unwind on the weekends?

A typical weekend for me would probably be split between spending time with my friends and playing guitar. As lockdown starts to lift, I hope to be able to see and play more live music with other people and just spend more time out of the house in general!

If you could travel to anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?

If I could travel anywhere I would revisit Egypt - Snorkeling and diving off the coast was a great experience, and the weather was a lot more reliable than here in England!