Audit Associate Review

I work as an Audit Associate for Grant Thornton in their Cambridge office. I work on the statutory audits of our clients, performing procedures to ensure compliance. I work on a range of different clients in a range of different sectors, as well as working with different colleagues on each job. Sometimes I work from the office, but a lot of the time myself and the rest of the engagement team will be working from the Client's premises where it is easier to discuss things with them and obtain supporting documentation.

I have learnt the importance of professionalism and how to approach clients. As well as this I have learnt how to collaborate and work with teams of different ages, genders and backgrounds. I am also studying for professional qualifications whilst working.

I very much enjoy my programme. I enjoy learning about different businesses and what it takes for them to be profitable. As well as this I enjoy interacting with different clients and colleagues. Another factor that I enjoy is that I am never in the same place for too long, meaning my day to day job is varied and exciting.

I feel very valued by Grant Thornton. I am encouraged to voice my opinion and challenge ideas and processes that I feel could be approached differently. Regular catch ups with my manager also make me feel valued by the firm as this enables me to voice any concerns of issues I have regularly. I am often given challenging work which carries responsibility, this also makes me feel valued.

Very well organised and structured. I have regular catch ups with my representative from Kaplan (the professional qualification provider). As well as this, Grant Thornton provide time for me to study and attend college. Furthermore, the programme has been running for a number of years meaning that my manager is well informed of how it works and can offer advice where necessary.

I receive satisfactory support from my training provider. I have catch ups with my representative, however she has lots of other students that she works with meaning that her support can sometimes be lacking and her communication sometimes takes some time. Overall they are very supportive and are always happy to help with any issues that I may have.

Plenty of support from my employer. Time is built into my diary to account for study time and exam preparation meaning that I can effectively study and prepare for my exams. As well as this, managers are happy to tailor workload to ensure that I am not too swamped with work in the run up to an exam.

Currently it meets my costs well. However I still live at home with my parents and therefore have few costs. Once I move out into my own home I can imagine that my salary will not be able to sufficiently meet my costs. House prices and the general cost of living in Cambridgeshire is very high and I do not feel that the remuneration package I receive is in line with this.

Yes, there are lots of social events where we can network both internally and externally with other businesses. As well as this, Grant Thornton works with a few charities in and around Cambridge which I have also got involved with meaning that I can gain experience is charity work outside of work.

Yes

There is a very friendly, people centric culture which provides a great working environment. Hard work is required but this is rewarded and there is, on the whole, a good work life balance. There is also an abundance of opportunities available within the firm once you qualify such as secondments internationally or just to different departments.

Just be yourself. Grant Thornton really value the personality of their employees as well as their academic ability. We are client facing and often represent the firm so it's important that you present yourself professionally. Assessment days are fun and interactive so just be yourself, make sure you contribute to the group discussions whilst also letting other say their piece.