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Just what do you think a Chartered Accountant is? If a dull, boring person who sits in an office checking figures all day springs to mind then think again.

Chartered Accountants are part of an adaptable, exciting and exacting profession. They come from all sorts of backgrounds, work all over the country - and throughout the world.

As a chartered accountant you'll be playing a major role within business and industry - a member of a profession on which others depend. A profession with a strong sense of ethics and values at its core. Inevitably , the training to achieve this is tough - at least three years' study combined with a demanding full-time job. A flexible and determined approach is essential to achieve success. However, the training is fulfilling, with the emphasis on gathering knowledge from working situations. It's also an opportunity to meet and work with other bright people, and trainees admit, often with some surprise, that they enjoy an excellent social life.

What personal qualities do I need?

The variety of jobs undertaken by Chartered Accountants calls for a wide range of personal qualities. A Chartered Accountant needs to be:

• A good communicator
• A high academic achiever
• A good team player
• Comfortable with numbers
• Able to manage others effectively
• Analytical
• Self-motivated

Fact: most students who start training pass their professional exams.

Everyone will tell you that training to be a Chartered Accountant is tough - they' re right! They'll also tell you that the qualities that get you through are commitment, hard work and determination - and once you've qualified many options and opportunities will be open to you.

The majority of trainees are graduates who enter three-year training contracts. But there are also opportunities for bright non-graduates. Contracts are open to BTEC and A level students.

Training contracts are offered by a wide range of firms, mainly in public practice but also in industry, and the terms and conditions of the contract may vary Make sure that you train with a firm that suits your temperament and careers objectives, and offers an adequate package of support for your tuition and examination.

Working for a large firm can have advantages, you will audit many large "household name" clients and the experience is valued by many employers. Most large firms offer a package of benefits that includes competitive salaries, excellent exam support and training and for some, a greater choice over the study methods available.

Working in a small or medium sized firm you will be trained more as an accountant than an auditor Many of the jobs will be for smaller clients and will provide a varied and interesting work schedule covering many areas of general practice. Many students appreciate the more personal, perhaps less pressurised environment that they work in with managers and partners often having more time to treat them as individuals.