Audit Trainee Review

I am audit trainee and I primarily work out at a clients site testing different areas of their financial statements. My day to day tasks vary depending on the type of client that I work on, their size, complexity and structure etc. A lot of the work that I perform involves interaction with the client, this could be with their finance director, finance controller, financial accountant or any other member of the finance team in order to obtain the audit evidence that I require as part of my work. A significant amount of interaction will also take place with the audit team that you are working with - on average I work with around 3/4 other people from BDO on an audit although this can vary depending on the size of the client, I've been on an audit whereby we had a team of 7/8 permanently out on site at the clients. At the start of each audit I will be assigned certain financial statement areas to audit, such as debtors, creditors, overheads - it is then my responsibility to cary out the necessary testing on these areas and investigate any issues that may arise as a result of my work performed and conclude on their "correctness". On average a typical audit lasts 2/3 weeks (again this depends on the size and complexity of the client) so you are constantly exposed to new and different clients and environments.

Once my 5 year scheme is completed - I will have gained a higher national apprenticeship qualification and become a fully qualified chartered accountant. BDO offer a lot of internal training courses that employees can choose to take part in and there are many skills to be gained whilst working on the job. You develop good communication skills through the role as you're constantly meeting and talking to new people and dealing with different situations. The job can be very time pressured at times, and you therefore have to keep track of your work and make sure that it is completed by the deadlines set, through this you develop good timekeeping and time management skills.

I enjoy the programme a lot, I have met many friends through the scheme and the company and I have learned a lot of skills through it all. The company culture is great, there are many social events throughout the year which gives you a great opportunity to get to know your colleagues on a more personal level. Working with different people each month also allows you to meet and work with new and different people. The overall experience has exceeded my expectations, with all the support, opportunities and people at the company etc, although it can be stressful at times when you are busy and have exams to study for.

I feel very valued at BDO, there are many opportunities to receive rewards and managers are very grateful and appreciative when you've worked hard, which essentially makes it all worthwhile!

The programme is structured well, being split into two parts, 2 yers for the apprenticeship and the remaining three for the ACA. All of our training is through on the job learning and through optional internal training courses. You are given time to go to college for exams and study and managers are understanding when you have an exam to study for that it will be necessary to leave work at a decent time.

We are each assigned a BPP assessor who helps guide us through all the coursework etc and is always on hand to answer and assist with any queries that we may have.

We receive lots of support, everyone is assigned a buddy - generally someone a year or two above you and a counselling manager there to assist with any queries/problems and monitor and help with your progress and development. I feel that these are essential in aiding my developmnt as they ensure that I stay on top of everything and keep me focused.

As a school leaver the salary is more suited to someone looking to live at home with their parents (in London), with little outgoings each month although renting is possible. As a graduate the salary is more suited to being able to rent privately etc.

You are entitled to a number of days each year that you can take for community volunterring which is very useful for getting involved with charity work.

Yes

At BDO the people are great, the company offers many opportunities and provides you with a lot of training and support.

Make sure that you fully research the firm and the role before applying, try and speak to someone who is in a similar role/has done before to gain a better insight into the work required etc. If you've done your research you are more likely to come across as passionate about the company/role which will assist in your application process.