Audit Apprentice Review

Range of audit tests including bank reconciliation, reviewing related party disclosures and board minutes, expenditure sample testing. Hard to be specific, but there is always something to do, especially at year-end when the final accounts get published, there are a lot of audit tests to carry out.

Vastly improved my excel skills since I joined. Also led a few team meetings so huge personal confidence improvement as well as effective communication. Another major skill I improved was organisation of time and materials eg making weekly to do lists and allocating time to different tasks.

That depends on how busy the office is. When it's too busy, it can certainly be stressful, and when it isn't, then I feel as if I have to chase after work. But it can be really interesting and enjoyable at times.

Overall, well structured. Apprentices are supported by the HR team, with timetables for when we are in college and when we have our exams. However, the timeline can sometimes be unclear, and what is expected of us. For example, the apprenticeship admin such as skills & behaviours and end point assessments. However, to work on that we have an apprentice/trainee forum where we can directly and collectively raise queries with HR for them to improve the experience for us and future apprentices. Aside from college, managers and performance coaches (in my experience) are really supportive and helpful, and very considerate of me being new to the role.

Good amount. Haven't yet been in a position in which I am struggling and need particular support, but the office is very supportive with college, eg setting up a new exam date if failed the first time, as well as getting a whole day of study leave for exams.

As mentioned above, exam support is generally really great, but the qualification also includes end point assessments and skills & behavious presentations/essays (which are with the college side), however sometimes the deadlines for those, and what they actually are and how to go about them aren't properly explained.

The qualification is a broad one, including topics for a range of different accountancy/finance/tax jobs. Although not all of the topics relate directly to my role (audit), they have definitely improved my understanding of particular elements. For example, as an auditor, the most suited exam topic was assurance, however having learnt accounting I now understand how to treat particular transactions in my testing because I understand what they are and how they should be recognised eg accruals and prepayments. Overall, the qualification definitely helps me perform better in my role.

I once participated in "Wednesday Night Football", a weekly friendly football game not far from the office, open for anyone of all athletic abilities to join. I also participated in a team building day, after which the team went for pizza! However, during busy season, the WNF doesn't run, so it's only seasonal, and other socials don't happen very often.

Yes

It is a very trainee-centred organisation, taking on board roughly 80 graduates and 22 apprentices in the 2024 September intake. Though it can be challenging (as are most new things), it is a very supportive and positive work environment. Although it is an office job, it doesn't feel corporate in any way, it's mostly very relaxed, and can be captivating and interesting to learn about the world of audit and its significance.

Main tip is to not force the corporate mindset (as mentioned above), however still remain professional as in any workplace. It is a challenging role and can get busy and overwhelming at times, especially mixing college/exams with a 9-5, sometimes it feels that you don't get any time for yourself (especially if it's a long commute to home). So time management is key.