When school started for her young children, Tracey Davies knew that her days as a stay-at-home mum were numbered, after all, she was bored and needed a challenge.
Like many working parents, Tracey looked for a role that would fit around school hours, which is how she started her career journey as a receptionist with Walker & Sutcliffe, the chartered accountancy practice in Huddersfield.
Tracey recalls: “When my kids were tiny, I was made redundant from my job, so I took the opportunity to spend more time with my children before they started school. I took three years out, but when they headed to the classroom I wanted to go back to work.”
Looking back, Tracey admits that she wasn’t necessarily looking for a career, but the flexibility that Walker & Sutcliffe offered, combined with its unique family feel, meant that she was soon adding in more time, tasks and learning.
She adds: “Working part-time as a receptionist was perfect for me but as life changes so do our own requirements and goals. So, when I could take on more hours, the management team at Walker & Sutcliffe were really supportive. With more hours came the opportunity to take on new jobs and before I knew it I was embarking on a career that I love.
“My receptionist role grew to involve tax-related administration. This did not go unnoticed and when I decided to move full-time, I was also offered a new and exciting opportunity.”
Nick Ledgard, Practice Partner at Walker & Sutcliffe, adds: “Tracey was working hard and providing a great deal of support to her colleagues. Her commitment and enjoyment for her evolving role was evident, so we decided to see if she would like to take her job to the next level and become a Tax Assistant.
“We felt that she would provide much-needed support to our Tax Manager, and she has. It’s been a journey that has involved lots of on-the-job learning and mentoring, but Tracey has thrived. It has been a real pleasure to see her develop.”
Tracey adds: “When Nick asked me to consider a new role, I really didn’t know if I could do it. But I thought that if the team had confidence in me, then I needed to have confidence too.
“There have been moments of apprehension, but I talked it out with my manager and have never looked back. It’s a busy role, especially at year-end, but I genuinely enjoy the job and love coming to work. I never thought I would say this, but there’s more to come. I can’t wait to learn more about personal tax and the next stop is corporation tax too!
“I believe that in the right environment, you can achieve anything and for me, that place is Walker & Sutcliffe. Its sense of family and its passion for supporting each team member promotes self-belief and a love of learning and development – after all that enables us to help the practice and each other.”