360 Apprentice Review

Being on a rotational programme, every six months I work in a different sector of the business. My first six months was in audit. Daily tasks included testing year end figures of clients, ensuring the figures match up and flagging up any un matching figures. Sometimes you may get jobs which are administrative, other times you may get tasks such as interviewing clients.

Working for such a big firm, you meet a lot of new people everyday. This exposure has contributed greatly towards my development of networking skills. Networking is the main skill I believe to have developed since working for the firm. In addition to this my communications skills have also developed because you are always contacting clients, senior members of the firm and sometimes you may be presenting to a team or department.

The programme itself is very challenging and intense which is exactly why I enjoy it. Some of the challenges I face include meeting deadlines for tasks set however the greatest challenge I would say is the challenge of working whilst studying for an exam. I love to challenge myself because it means I can improve as an individual and as I am facing new challenges everyday on the programme, I am happy to say I am developing as an individual as well as a professional.

Feeling valued by KPMG is something I believe everyone feels. As a 360 apprentice, I am the lowest grade of the firm however, the work I get assigned makes me feel important because the work I do affects the chain of command all the way up to partners. There are also many ways the firm portrays its values to its employees including encore awards, promotion, company benefits which are many. Managers also encourage us junior employees to challenge them if we disagree with a decision or something regarding the work because not everyone is perfect and they would rather us get it out than keep it in.

The 360 programme is organised straightforward. You would work in a sector of the business for 6 months, rotating to a different department after the 6 months have ended. You are provided with training for that specific department you work in so you are not completely lost when you first start working. Whilst working, you also study, which you are given time off for. In addition, we have one to one meetings with our performance managers regarding our progress on the programme and what support could be given to us in order to make it better for ourselves.

The training provider provides us with live sessions with tutors, followed by recorded online lectures. Some people prefer live tutoring, others prefer listening and pausing the recorded content. It depends on the individual preferences but the training provider provides the best of both so there are no gaps. During each exam season we get contacted by members of the training provider asking us how we are doing and if there is anything they can do to support us and it is good to know that there is someone to turn to if we are stuck on a certain area of the course.

360 management ensure we are given time off for our studying and thereafter we have to study in our own time. This is where the help and support of individual teams comes in, my managers ensure I am not overloaded with work so that I can finish on time and begin studying for my exam. The teams understand that for apprentices exams are vitally important because if there is a piece of work not completed on time, we will not lose our jobs as there are many other colleagues who can pick that work up from you however if there is an exam it is only ourselves sitting that exam there cannot be anyone to sit that exam for us.

Everyone wants to earn the most. KPMG is one of the highest paying apprenticeship providers. We are provided with a lunch allowance everyday so we save money on lunch. Any business travel etc is reimbursed or paid for by the corporate credit card so we save on business commute as well. Living in London is extremely expensive and I believe that for a school leaver KPMG provides sufficient amount of salary to cover our costs.

KPMG has so many different social networks whether it be religious societies or sport clubs. I myself am part of the Islamic society which organises the 5 daily prayers in the prayer room. In addition the firm has many other different networking events where people from all over the firm meet each other and build up networks. We have forums in the 360 programme where all apprentices from all over the UK get together for a day and listen to talks and go to social events together.

Yes

I had the choice between university and an apprenticeship. University is valued socially whereas apprenticeships are not. Upon completion of university you get a degree, a huge loan and you have to fight and hunt for jobs. The KPMG programme provides you with sufficient work experience as well as education so that once the apprenticeship is complete, you will never have to worry about a huge loan or fight for a job and you will still have your qualifications by your side.

Prepare as much as you can for all stages whether it be written, verbal or interactive. The firm provides what is expected to be assessed in each stage of the recruitment process so make the most of that because it actually does come up. When you are in each stage of the recruitment process, give it your all even if you don't feel comfortable, there are thousands others competing against you so you have to stand out of all those competitors.