If you are a graduate, or are currently studying at University and are considering a career in the accountancy profession, please see graduate opportunities below to find out more about what is involved in training to be a Chartered Accountant. For more details on the actual training and for some views from our current trainees see below.

Please note that the closing date for applications for training contracts starting in September 2012 in our Sheffield office has now passed.

You can download our student application form if you wish to apply to Hawsons for a training contract.

For all other opportunities please select general vacancies for details of current jobs on offer.

If you want to progress within Hawsons and have the capabilities, then opportunities exist.

We invest a great deal in recruitment and training and we want our students to stay when they qualify. At Hawsons we strive to maintain a happy working atmosphere and to ensure that all members of staff get the individual attention they require. The Partners will take a personal interest in your progress and are readily accessible.

The learning process continues after qualification as the range and depth of practical experience will increase. We will ensure that your professional development includes regular courses updating you on technical matters and improving your managerial skills.

However if you wish to leave the profession to go into other areas of business, the training and varied experience received at Hawsons will provide you with an excellent base to your future career.

We are looking for individuals who:-

• are ambitious and motivated
• are able to respond to the challenges and rewards experienced in a growing firm
• are able to demonstrate commitment
• have a proven academic record

We welcome students from any degree discipline, although we do expect candidates to be heading for a 2:1 degree and have at least 280 UCAS points and GCSE Maths and English Grade B, although some discretion may be exercised.

In return, as a continually expanding practice, we can offer you genuine prospects of career advancement after qualification.

Training to become a chartered accountant is challenging, demanding but ultimately very rewarding. For both Hawsons and you, your training is a major investment for the future.

With a diverse range of clients and client services, we are able to ensure that you will receive a comprehensive and varied grounding in practical work. Wherever possible you will be introduced to other aspects of the firm's specialist work including corporate finance, IT and business advice.

Throughout your training you will be working closely with more senior colleagues and you will learn from them. You will be given increasing responsibility as soon as we feel you can cope with this and early within your second year you can expect to take senior responsibility on assignments.

Tuition for the Institute exams is provided externally by leading accountancy tutors in the country who consistently achieve pass rates higher than the national average.

Passing the Institute exams is dependent on your hard work and commitment but we closely monitor your progress and ensure that the right balance is kept between client work and time for study.

You will receive eight weeks of in-house training during your training contract. Five weeks will be provided by Mercia Group, an external tutor specialising in training Chartered Accountants and the other three weeks are provided internally by us. These courses cover management and communication skills as well as practical aspects of auditing, accounting, taxation and the use of IT.

year one student
"I find the firm's friendly and supportive atmosphere really helps in coping with the demands of combining professional studies with a hard day's work. The partners and other senior staff are very accessible and events such as the firm's annual day-out, where the partners and staff from all three offices get together, ensure there is plenty of opportunity for socialising with colleagues"

year two student
"There were many factors about training at Hawsons that appealed to me, especially the wide variety of experience and early responsibility available to trainees. Although junior audit work can be routine, it is only a stepping stone and early in my second year I was given responsibility for my own jobs, reporting directly to a manager. I don't think this, along with work at smaller businesses where you feel you can make a difference, would have been possible had I joined a larger firm."

year three student
"The average assignment lasts 2-3 weeks so you are constantly meeting new challenges. At Hawsons, the audit senior is responsible for the corporation tax computations, which isn't always the case at other firms, so I have had extensive experience in taxation as well as accounts preparation and auditing. It all contributes to the good grounding I feel I'm getting at the firm."

recently qualified senior
"Now that my exams are out of the way, I am concentrating on developing other skills, particularly client relationships and personal skills, all of which are addressed by the firm's continuing professional education. I am also gaining experience in other areas, such as Corporate Finance and IT consultancy, by spending periods of time working within the firm's specialist departments."