Senior Accounts Clerk | Ellen | Flourish Education

Ellen talks about her career at Flourish Education

Flourish Education is a family run education recruitment agency. We supply schools with teachers and non- teaching candidates across the West Midlands including Coventry, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Stoke.

As Senior Accounts Clerk, I look after the business accounts alongside the Managing Director. With so many clients and candidates on our books, and with candidates moving around a lot, it's important to keep the books tidy! The key aspects of my role are ensuring all our clients are invoiced correctly, managing timesheets and running payroll for candidates to make sure they're paid on time.

Q1. What’s your story/background?

When I left sixth form college, I started on a Level 3 Business and Administration apprenticeship whilst working for the Birmingham City Council. I picked up a lot of skills during my time with the council which helped me gain future employment. After the apprenticeship, I soon realised I wanted to work with children, so I enrolled on another one. This time I studied for a Level 3 in Supporting and Learning Children whilst working in a nursery. I continued to work at the nursery after completing the apprenticeship for nearly two years, working with children aged between 0-5 years of age.

The work was very rewarding but I wanted to change my career after having my son. I started looking for other jobs and found a role with Flourish Education as a Compliance Administrator. Since then, I have moved on to finance and am working my way up to be the Finance Manager. That's what I love about Flourish Education - they identified my head for numbers and helped me start a new career in finance. It's a move I thoroughly enjoy!

What motivates you and why?

Overcoming a challenge motivates me, both day-to-day and long-term - it a gives me a great deal of satisfaction when I find a solution to a problem or tick off one of my goals.

What do you like about working at Flourish Education?

I really enjoy working at Flourish Education because there are opportunities for me to grow, expand my skills and progress within my career.

What's your take on how the pandemic has affected education recruitment and how has Flourish supported you during these challenging times?

The first lockdown was hard for everyone, people did not know if they would still have a job at the end. At Flourish Education, we understood this was a massive concern for everyone. Grant and I worked tirelessly to ensure that our candidates and monthly staff received furlough to get them through. Flourish Education supported all staff throughout the pandemic by making sure we could do what was important to us. During our second lockdown, they understood the difficulty of working while home learning with my son and allowed me to work part-time so that I could do both. Flourish ensured we all made it through the pandemic.

How do you help candidates at Flourish Education?

I ensure they get paid on time. every time!

What area and roles do you specialise in?

I am the Flourish Education Senior Accounts Clerk and I do everything from payroll to management accounts.

What advice do you have for candidates in their education career?

If I had to offer any piece of advice, I would recommend that candidates try to always give their very best and to say yes to any career enhancing opportunity that arises.

What are your interests and hobbies outside of work?

I like to spend time dining out with my family and friends - I am a big fan of tapas. Moseley Village is one of my favourite places to enjoy good grub.