Accounts Assistant
About Candidate
Education/Qualification
- AU Level 3 Humanities and Social Sciences
Systems used
- Microsoft Word and Excel (Advanced Excel user)
Career Summary
Current Employer – Personal injury Lawyers
Position – PA to Dept Head and Advocacy Clerk
Dates – December 2020 – Present
- Witnessed the Advocacy Department grow from 1 barrister and 2 advocates to 4 barristers, 4 pupil barristers, and 4 advocates
- Solely manage the department diary, handling booking requests, cancellations, updates, and papers
- Ensure department statistics remain high by filling cancellations with previously declined requests
- Manage diaries of all team members, factoring in preparation time, travel, and overnight stays
- Allocate hearings based on team members’ capability and Rights of Audience, ensuring appropriate assignments
- Produce Management Information and statistics reports for the department
- Generate monthly Supervisor Reports for advocates to forward to their supervisors
- Created and implemented procedures for the day-to-day running of the Advocacy Department
- Adapted to changes and growth within the team, thoroughly enjoying the experience
Previous Employer – Law Firm
Position – Document Production Coordinator-Workflow Coordinator
Dates – November 2016 – December 2020
- Supervised the Manchester office’s Document Production (DP) department, handling transcriptions for national and international offices
- Transcribed a variety of documents including court forms, tenders, presentations, memos, client advice, emails, and notes
- Data manipulation on Excel – Adding filters, tables, charts
- Operated multiple computer systems, including 5 case management systems, Outlook, Bighand, Word, and PowerPoint
- Managed the UK typing queue, allocating work, arranging deadlines, and corresponding with service users via email, instant messenger, and telephone
- Anticipated workload issues, estimated and negotiated deadlines, and allocated tasks based on training needs
- Ensured work was completed efficiently, handling tight lawyer deadlines
- Maintained high typing speeds (around 80 WPM) and completed a large amount of transcription work
- Provided support for colleagues on IT issues and document-related questions before involving the IT department
- Generated production reports using Bighand Analytics to monitor individual performance and identify training needs
- Undertook HR responsibilities for the Manchester team, including managing holiday requests, sickness, absence, and conducting 1-to-1s and performance tracking
- Handled training and development, delivering on-the-job training for new recruits
- Involved in recruitment processes, conducting interviews and participating in decision-making
Previous Employer – Insurance and dispute resolution
Position – XA Administrator
Dates – October 2008 – November 2016
- Supported fee-earners with secretarial duties in a fast-paced legal environment, handling diary management, post, emails, travel arrangements, and phone calls/conferences
- Prioritized and managed own workload to ensure smooth office operations
- Produced various legal documents and reports including Counsel Instructions, PODs, client advices, trial bundles, court forms, and training/presentation materials, ensuring accuracy and adherence to house style
- Maintained and actioned tasks on two case management systems (Xclaim, Flocase), ensuring cases met deadlines and were handled efficiently
- Liaised with professionals and organizations, arranged meetings, telephone conferences, travel, and expenses
- Fully conversant with in-house systems (Xclaim, Flocase, Big Hands, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Word) and highly IT literate
- Achieved typing speeds above 65 WPM, exceeding 80-90 WPM with dictation
- Lead typist/document producer for sensitive and high-profile cases, ensuring accuracy and handling high-volume workloads
- Managed typing queue, coordinated additional help, and organized annual leave to maintain smooth office operations
- Trusted for speed and accuracy, regularly producing urgent documents
Previous Employer – Law firm
Position – Legal Secretary
Dates – January 2008 – October 2008
- Audio typing of letters/documents
- Preparation of court documents/forms and bundles to strict deadlines and call handling
January 2007 – January 2008 – Various temporary assignments – general administration/reception/payroll duties for companies.
Previous Employer – Hospitality institution
Position – Manager / Secretary
Dates – June 2003 – September 2006
- Responsible for staff management, rotas, interviews and wage calculation
- Responsible for stock management and deliveries
- Accounting and banking
Previous Employer – Training into Employment
Position –Secretary
Dates – August 2000 – June 2003
- Audio typing correspondence
- Payroll spreadsheet input
- Arranging travel and accommodation
- Filtering telephone calls and post
- Production of visual aids for presentations and tenders
Previous Employer – Job Centre
Position – Job Search Call Handler
Dates – June 1998 – August 2000
- Conducting job searches for job seekers
- Gave advice on training courses available
- Call centre environment
