EMILY ROBSON

Personal element

“There’s something really personal about developing strong relationships with clients. This is because trust is formed and clients know you’ll give them advice that will genuinely benefit them. With this personal element and strong relationship there’s an expectation from clients that you will provide a good service. I always strive to go above and beyond that expectation and any advice I give is aimed at benefitting my clients and their future. I always want clients to be best placed to make the best decision for their future.”

Building my career

“I joined the company initially through work experience. It started as one week, which quickly became two, and now it’s over 8 years! I was actually the first school leaver here in Leeds, so I’m really passionate about talking about my experiences, looking at my own progression and then giving feedback on it all to improve processes. If I can make something better for the next generation coming in I’ll try my best to do so.

I’ve been with the company since I left school. I’ve had so many great opportunities to progress and develop at AAB. I’ve been able to build the career that I want with great support behind me. There’s no telling what the future holds here, and I think that’s so exciting.

I love being involved in the development of junior members of staff. That was once me, so I know exactly how they feel, and I can give them support that’s based on my experiences. I have a real enthusiasm for growing the team and providing people with great career opportunities. I’ve been in their position so I can give them support and advice. It’s great to be able to give back and help others in a way that people did for me when I first started.”

More to it than tax legislation

“There’s a lot of changing legislation that we need to keep up to date with and tax changes. So, it’s important that we stay on top of changes and know what’s coming. One of the great things about having so many colleagues is that you can share knowledge and experience and inform each other of changes in legislation and what that will mean for our clients which is great. When we’re up to date with changes we can provide our clients with the most up to date information and prepare them in advance so they’re in the best position to make informed decisions about their future.

People think our jobs are just about tax legislation and knowledge. While that is such a big part of our job it’s also a big misconception. Yes, we have to keep up to date with that but at its core our jobs are focused and centred around people. It’s about building and maintaining strong relationships with clients. You can have all the tax knowledge possible and know all the upcoming tax changes, but you will struggle if you can’t communicate effectively with clients and support them properly. That’s one of my greatest strengths. Being able to empathise and really get to know clients so I can provide an amazing service for them.”