Trainee Story Stephen Lynch

Stephen is an Accountancy and Finance Graduate from DCU.    In September 2021 he started his journey with DBASS to become a Chartered Accountant.

I graduated from Dublin City University in 2021 after completing a Masters in Accounting and a degree in Accounting and Finance from Technological University Dublin and started working for DBASS in September 2021 as a Trainee Chartered Accountant. Arriving on my first day, I was extremely nervous, however I was very quickly put at ease and everyone was so welcoming. On my first day I was also assigned a “work-buddy” – the idea being to give new trainees access to a more experienced trainee, who was able offer guidance and support to new starters.  I felt as though I could ask them anything, about my work or the company itself and they were instrumental in helping me to settle in at DBASS.

Having joined the tax team, at what was a particularly busy time given the approaching tax deadlines, I was initially concerned that I would soon find myself out of my depth while becoming familiar with the variety of systems used at DBASS. To date I have felt fully supported during my learning journey with DBASS and have always felt that I could ask questions, whether to a manager, partner or other trainee.  Everyone has had great patience with me and the support I have gotten at every stage of my journey thus far has been astounding.

What really sets DBASS apart from other companies for me is how people oriented they are – a prime example was when I was applying to DBASS, the application process was extremely straightforward consisting of the application form followed by a phone interview, a one-to-one interview (which took place on Zoom due to Covid-19) followed by a job offer. I was kept very well-informed at each stage of the application process and communications were prompt and detailed in nature. Even after accepting the job offer in December 2020, I received regular check-ins every couple of months up until my start date the following September enquiring about how I was getting on with my Masters and in general.

As I attained a better understanding of the basics of my role and gained confidence, I was presented with opportunities to engage in a variety of other projects.   This has allowed me increase my skillset by gaining competencies in a number of new areas.  To date I have been involved in the preparation of various tax returns relating to Income Tax, CGT and CAT, preparing company valuations in relation to share restructures in addition to gathering and analysing information in relation to the Due Diligence process for the sale of a company.  Since starting my journey with the Irish Tax Institute and the process of becoming a Chartered Tax Adviser I have noticed that my day to day experience in DBASS has helped me greatly in my understanding of certain concepts and has given context to my learning.

I am so grateful to have started my accounting journey with DBASS and look forward to completing my studies and furthering my knowledge of both accountancy and taxation through the ongoing support and training provided by my colleagues.