CAN Do Internships: A spotlight on Andrew Wiseman
Internships are an excellent avenue for students to get hands-on experience, bridging the gap between academic theory and real-life working environments, and as a Young Person’s Guarantee employer, CAN Group is committed to supporting the next generation of talent. We recently caught up with Andrew Wiseman, an intern at CAN, to find out how being immersed in CAN’s day-to-day operations over the past six years has helped with both his professional development and gaining valuable industry experience as he prepares for the next steps in his career.

Background
“I started my journey at CAN during my gap year from school in 2019. I wanted to take some time before my studies to gain first-hand experience in the workplace  and save up some money before moving away from home. I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to work within the accounts department as an intern on a one-month contract which later got extended to my whole gap year. 

I moved to Edinburgh and started studying Engineering at university  however after a year I decided it wasn’t for me. Having had  such a positive experience at CAN, I chose to switch to Accountancy and Finance in my second year at Heriot Watt University, and have recently graduated with a Masters of Art in Accountancy and Finance

My Journey at CAN
“When my gap year and internship came to an end I was given the opportunity to gain further experience and continued working at CAN out with term time. 

Over the years, my role has evolved significantly. I have supported various functions within the accounts department, including invoicing for  various departments, credit control and accounts receivable, archiving and document control, assisting with Year-end accounting, supporting the systems side of operations as well as helping with maintenance and system development of our accounting software. 

This variety has given me a well-rounded understanding of how the department operates and how different processes interconnect.”

New skills 
“Working in an office environment has taught me a lot beyond technical accounting skills. I’ve become much more proficient with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and I’ve learned how to communicate effectively in a professional setting. I’ve also developed a better understanding of time management, prioritisation, and how to adapt to different tasks and systems quickly.”

Internship Success
When asked if taking on an internship has been beneficial, Andrew said:

“Absolutely. Having real-world experience has made a huge difference in how I approached my studies. Being able to connect academic concepts to actual business practices helped me understand the background behind the theory. It also gave me a head start in areas like financial reporting and audit, where I had already seen these processes in action.”

Andrew shares his advice for anyone looking to take on an internship:

“Try and get involved in as many areas as possible, a lot of tasks will be different or not covered at university and  it’s a great way to learn the practicalities of working in industry. You will likely  make some mistakes along with way, however you’ll learn how to prevent or fix them which is far more valuable.”

Looking Ahead 
As Andrew embarks on this exciting new chapter as a graduate, we share our best wishes for the journey ahead.

“Now that I’ve completed university, I’ve accepted a graduate position at Ernst & Young in their Wealth and Asset Management – Financial Services Audit department. I’ll be working towards my ICAS chartership while working in the field. In 10 years, I hope to be a fully qualified chartered accountant with a position in industry.”

Congratulations Andrew and thank you for sharing your journey here at CAN.

CAN Group is proud to be part of the Young Person’s Guarantee with DYW North East which aims to provide all 16-24 year olds in Scotland career opportunities through jobs, apprenticeships, further and higher education, training programmes and volunteering.

If you are interested in finding out about the opportunities available at CAN Group please visit our careers page.