4min read

I’m Ivy and I’m a Senior Manager in PKF’s Tax team. I specialise in Corporate Tax, and have a range of clients that I help either by ensuring that they’re compliant with all of the relevant tax laws or by providing them with advice on how best to structure their tax arrangements. I also support audit teams with the tax elements of their work. 

Outside of work, I enjoy going to the gym and listening to podcasts. 

My career background’s unusual in that I went straight into industry after university, and worked in Network Rail’s tax team for 2.5 years. I’ve a degree in Maths, so wanted a job that appealed to my numeracy and logic skills. I then moved to one of the Big Four firms, working across a number of different locations and teams but after 3.5 years I felt unfulfilled in my role and keen to find a new challenge. 

I was attracted to PKF because of its friendly and supportive culture, and the commitment the firm makes to looking after its people. In my previous role, it often felt like we were encouraged to compete with our colleagues rather than work together; that’s not something that appeals to me. The work life balance was also far from ideal, particularly once I’d started a family.

I genuinely feel valued at PKF. My colleagues are welcoming and go out of their way to help me. The firm also takes training seriously, and I’m impressed by the time and financial investment that goes into learning and development here. 

The culture here is definitely more inclusive. Lots of businesses talk about celebrating diversity, but you can see PKF’s commitment in this area each time you go into the office or join a Zoom call and see the people who work here. Everyone is easy to talk to – Partners at some Big Four firms have a reputation for being aloof, but that’s not the case here.

The variety of work. My role covers tax compliance, tax advisory and tax audit, so I have the opportunity to challenge myself technically and develop on a number of fronts. I also feel very much part of a team, which makes a big difference.

We’re busy – because of all the new clients that we’re winning – but there’s a good balance. Knowing that there’s a team to support you during the busiest times is helpful too.

The work is challenging and rewarding, so you have the chance to push yourself forward. You also get significant client interaction from a relatively early stage in your career. On top of this, the firm invests in numerous learning and development programmes that give you the technical and people skills that you need to do well and progress.

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