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Congratulations to Year 13 student, Deven on securing an apprenticeship with BDO UK LLP. BDO is the 5th largest accountancy firm in the world, known for their focus on mid-sized businesses. Westminster City School caught up with Deven to find out more about this incredible journey ahead once he has finished his A-Levels.

Tell us a about the apprenticeship programme that you have secured

I have been privileged to secure a place within the Tax Team in the Real Estate industry at BDO. Over the course of 4 years, I will be completing two level 7 courses, with approximately 14 Exams - an ACA & a CTA. Once I have completed the necessary courses, I will be a qualified Chartered Accountant & Chartered Tax Advisor which are equivalent to two Masters Degrees.

During my 4 years at BDO, as well studying, I will have the opportunity to apply my knowledge to the real world whilst working on a Portfolio.

How did you hear about the apprenticeship and why did you decide to apply for it?

Generally, I heard about apprenticeships through the school and my father. Regarding this particular apprenticeship, I heard about it from my father as he had encountered with them in previous years.

I decided to apply to BDO, and in fact only 1 other apprenticeship programme, because I felt that their values closely align with mine - especially having grown up around a small business, and understanding the importance of consultants in their operation.

My decision of tax, stems from the desire to be a specialist and my goal is to be one in either Quantitative Finance or Accounting. Additionally, I am drawn towards accounting because it is an area that I am familiar with due to my family’s background. I want to specialise in Tax because it is a complex and specific area where you have to ‘know your onions’ so to speak; I enjoy the thrill of unravelling and solving a good puzzle.

Finally, in terms of Real Estate, my basic interest is asset management; and in asset management there are two asset classes that interest me – equity and property. One is speculative and innovative and the other is fundamental.

Do you have any tips or advice for students who are considering an apprenticeship scheme?

The whole application process can be daunting, but it’s very important to remember that they aren’t looking for just academics. They want someone who is willing to learn, personable and intelligent.

Intelligence isn’t just being book smart, it’s more about being an academic who can discuss breadth of topics without feeling out of their depth - which is hard to do at this age, but you can develop habits that will contribute to this.

One such habit, which my father instilled in me is the importance of reading the news weekly, knowing what’s happening in the world around you.