People are the essence of the Hazlewoods Legal team. In this section, we get to know more about Bertie Jones, Associate Director.
What drew you to Hazlewoods originally?
Hazlewoods has a great brand both locally and nationally, and I enjoyed the idea of working for a firm with a rich history in Cheltenham but that had national reach.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy spending time building relationships with both my clients and colleagues alike. There is a great breadth of individuals and projects which gives real variety to my days and makes the role all the more fulfilling.
What does a typical day look like for you and what are you currently working on?
As they say all days are different, but usually each day involves several client calls, discussing the project we are working on or assisting in a query they may have, catching up with my team members who are delivering an audit and then focusing on my own work, be that compliance work or advisory work.
What is the best career lesson you have learned so far?
The easiest, and yet sometimes hardest thing to do, is to ask questions. In all likelihood someone has asked it before you and someone will ask it after you so be confident in doing so – there is always someone around to help.
What has been your greatest achievement to date?
I would say that it is becoming a qualified accountant. It is not always easy to balance your day job alongside study and revision but getting to the end certainly makes it all worthwhile!
What should clients be currently thinking?
With changes on the horizon in terms of regulation, but also crucially a decrease in interest rates, it is important for businesses to assess their underlying productivity and profitability to ensure they are maximising their performance as well as cashflow.
What do you enjoy about the office locations?
At Hazlewoods, we have a range of great, but contrasting offices to work from. I am based in Windsor House, a period building in the centre of Cheltenham, which is great location to meet with clients but also to pop out for lunch or meet with friends after work.
What is the best advice you can give to someone just starting out in their career?
Try as much as you can. Your career will be a large part of your life so it is important you enjoy it and find something that works – Hazlewoods is very good for allowing staff to sample different departments and teams which is a real benefit for someone looking to find their way.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Living in Cheltenham we have a great town on our doorstep as well as the Cotswolds around the corner, so I often spend the weekends exploring the local area with my wife, be that a walk or trip to a local pub. Beyond that I am a lover of almost all sports so can often be found attending as many matches (or races) as possible.
Tell us something we might not know about you?
I have a twin brother who is 90 seconds older than me.
