At Sammons Recruitment Group, we believe in nurturing the next generation of talent through work experience opportunities. That’s why we were delighted to welcome Danil, a T-Level Accounting student, who joined us for a vocational placement as part of his course. Over the span of 315 hours, Danil immersed himself in the day-to-day operations of our back-office finance team, and left with a wealth of skills, knowledge, and confidence that will no doubt benefit his future career.
From processing timesheets to working on financial reporting projects, Danil made the most of every opportunity available to him during his time with us. As T-Levels become an increasingly popular pathway for young people pursuing technical qualifications, it’s vital that employers like us offer placements that provide real-world relevance and tangible outcomes.
Building Practical Skills in Payroll & Accounting
Danil’s placement focused heavily on payroll processing, an area of increasing demand in today’s financial job market. Working closely with our finance team, he supported:
- Timesheet production and reconciliation
- New PAYE starter entry
- Month-end reporting
- Temp pay details input and validation
- Holiday accrual and gross-to-net calculations
In addition to routine processing tasks, Danil also took on a more analytical assignment: comparing three years of Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet data. This hands-on exposure to financial reporting helped him build confidence in working with tools like Excel and Xero, and demonstrated how the numbers on a page connect to real business decisions.
“My time at Sammons Recruitment has helped prepare me for my future career by giving me valuable work experience in payroll accounting and a reference for my CV. I now feel much more confident about pursuing a career in this field.”
Learning Beyond the Curriculum
One of the core goals of any vocational placement is to extend learning beyond the classroom. For Danil, this meant not just applying what he’d studied in his T-Level Accounting course, but also learning things he hadn’t encountered yet.
This breadth of learning helps students connect theoretical knowledge with real-world practices – a key benefit of the T-Level structure. As employers increasingly value practical experience alongside formal qualifications, this type of placement equips young professionals with a competitive edge.
“A crucial thing I must mention is how I was introduced to topics outside my T-Level syllabus - like posting timesheets, journal entries, and producing holiday accrual reports. It gave me a deeper understanding of payroll from start to finish.”
Cross-Functional Collaboration: CRM and Recruitment Insight
Though Danil was based primarily with our finance team, we also ensured he had some exposure to our recruitment consultants and business systems. Understanding how finance supports the wider business is essential and through his time with our consultants, Danil learned how to:
- Navigate and input data into our CRM system
- Organise and update records
- Understand how recruitment KPIs and timesheets feed into payroll
“The most valuable skill I learned was how to produce timesheets on Sammons' payroll and invoicing system, alongside the booking report. I also learned how to calculate holiday pay, split temp details by employer, and analyse gross profits - all using real data.”
Why T-Level Placements Matter
At Sammons Recruitment Group, we’re proud to play a part in shaping the careers of emerging professionals. T-Level placements like Danil’s, from East Sussex College, offer a win-win: students gain crucial work-based learning, and businesses benefit from fresh perspectives and motivated learners.
As skills gaps in accounting, payroll, and financial admin continue to challenge UK employers, investing in the workforce of tomorrow is more important than ever. Providing structured placements, supported by mentoring and real responsibility, is one way we can do our part.
Final Thoughts from Danil – We asked Danil to sum up how his placement at Sammons has impacted him. Here’s what he said:
“This experience has definitely improved my career prospects. I’ve learned practical skills, built my understanding of payroll and accounting, and worked with new platforms I’d never seen before. It’s given me the confidence to go further in this career path.”
We couldn’t be more pleased with Danil’s contribution and growth during his time with us and we wish him all the best for the future!
Looking to host a T-Level student or join a company that supports early careers? Get in touch with our team today to find out more about Sammons Recruitment Group’s work-based learning opportunities.