Two acquisitions, two decades, one incredible career – Craig Hall reflects on his time with Prime

Fresh from completing his A-levels, Craig Hall was hoping to find something interesting to do with his career.

Deciding he would give it a try and see what happens, Craig joined an accounting firm and soon found himself taking clients’ physical paper and handwritten records and summarising on spreadsheets, learning how to use accounting software and making tea and coffee for the entire office.

That accounting firm was acquired in the years since, which was then also acquired by Prime Accountants, resulting in Craig being a valued part of a much bigger team.

Previously, the companies were small with little ability to progress upwards once at a senior level without becoming an owner of the business,” said Craig. “However, since being acquired by Prime, there is now a path for further career progression, which I would like to pursue as the opportunity becomes available.”

Craig’s professional aspirations were matched by the commitment he showed outside of work to support his professional development.

“My best achievement was when I got the results for my final AAT exam.

“My hard work of self-study in my own time had paid off, as I passed all the exams first time and finally had the qualification to prove it.”

Having carried his ambition with him throughout his 20-year career, Craig is keen to take on new challenges and has relished the way that his workplace has changed around him.

“I would say some of the biggest challenges have come from the two acquisitions that I’ve been through,” he said. “Each time involved becoming part of an established firm with its own staff and way of doing things.

“This meant I had to get to know new people and how to effectively work with them, as well as adapt to different systems and methods of working to ensure consistency within the firm and continue to provide the clients with a good level of service.”

During this time, Craig found himself needing to embrace more responsibility to keep things moving.

“Shortly before being acquired by Prime, the senior auditor left our firm and I was asked to step up for the first time and run several audits that I’d previously only assisted on.

“Stepping up as an audit and accounts senior was a turning point in my career, as I had more responsibility and had to learn how to do more complex work than I would have done otherwise, which has helped me to increase my knowledge and ability.”

The unease with the new role was short-lived as Craig’s confidence grew. The acquisition by Prime also empowered him to continue developing his skills in a way he had not been able to before.

“Due to the acquisitions, I’ve had the benefit of experiencing new companies and ways of doing things without having to change jobs.” Craig reflected. “I think one of the positives of staying for long tenures is experience and knowledge of the longstanding clients, providing an element of continuity and consistency that some clients prefer, helping to build strong, valuable relationships.

“Another positive is that it gave me the time I needed to develop my knowledge and abilities without the distraction of the processes involved in changing jobs frequently.”

Looking back across his 20-year career, Craig knows that he has developed into a true expert who has become a core member of the team.

“Over the years, I’ve got to experience a variety of different clients and carried out different work for them.

“The experience I’ve gained over the years has helped broaden my knowledge and has helped me with my role and assisting colleagues.”

Even as things have changed, Craig knows that his career has been strengthened through the expanding scope of support and his own dedication and resilience.

While Craig managed his AAT training independently of the firm he worked for, he now has the backing of Prime for future growth.

“I hope to progress further with Prime, while continuing to add to my knowledge, abilities and experience.”

For more information, please visit Prime’s website: https://primeaccountants.co.uk/