360 Apprentice Review

As the apprenticeship is rotational and I do not work exclusively in a single department, my day-to-day experience is dependent on which department I am in. In audit my day to day experience would involve preparing and documenting walkthroughs and substantively testing several line items on a client's P+L or BS. In Tax though, the work is less specific, as it requires lots of technical knowledge that I have not yet acquired.

Since joining, I feel like all of my existing skills have increased drastically. I have become much better at networking, public speaking and communicating simply due to the professional environment. Also, I have developed great knowledge of Audit and Tax which was not there before I had started at KPMG.

When there are socials at work these are always fun however due to things like busy season in Audit, at points socials can be few and far between. However, once work becomes a little less busy there is an abundance of socials I.e. bowling, 5 a side, darts, drinks etc.

Within each team I have worked in I have felt extremely valued, and the individuals I have worked with have always made me feel welcome and my work appreciated. That said, due to some of the less competent apprentices, to some people the 360 programme is synonymous with a poor work ethic and a lack of quality in work produced - leading to many people have pre-conceived ideas about the apprentices and the apprenticeship as a whole.

The induction was very well organised and was a smooth process - which bode well for the future. However since then, it seems as though there has been no concern with good organisation/structure from the management team - especially in regards to moving team/rotating. A large number of people did not find out where in the business they would be moving to until under four working days before the start of their new rotation which was unacceptable, especially due to the lack of transparency the management team gave. Further to this, although the programme is new, often if you ask questions about something that later down the line in the programme you will most likely receive the answer 'I don't know yet' which is particularly frustrating.

Exam training is provided by BPP Professional Education. I cannot fault their support to us in regards to exams - they provide ample time for in class/online study and the tutors are open to questions and are (as expected) good at explaining the course content.

The management team will always respond to any questions within a reasonable amount of time and respond to more sensitive topic with compassion and respect. That said, it could be argued that, at points, they offer too much support to us and treat us like children which can be frustrating given that they are always keen to remind us that we are adults.

As someone straight out of sixth form, living at home with my parents and within 40 mins of the office the salary meets my costs well. That said, given that we are often on the same working-level as graduates, the pay gap between us is frustrating and knowing that they will earn more than us throughout our time on the programme, even with out incremental pay rises, is unacceptable. If I knew this would be the case then I may have joined another Big 4 firm.

Yes. There are plenty of opportunities outside work. There are socials quite often depending on which team you are in and there are societies that you can join that also have their own socials. Further to this, you are encouraged to volunteer at points throughout the year which offers an opportunity to get out the office and do something productive within the community.

Yes

It is a great opportunity to learn and develop as a person. However, for the duration of the programme you should not expect to feel as though you are valued as much as the typical graduate - because even if you are doing the same work, they will be earning more for doing so and generally speaking demand more respect across the firm.

Be yourself. Try to remain confident at all points. Try to get as many life experiences as possible as they help you in the various interviews you will be subject to - as you will have something to draw on for examples of why you are a good fit for KPMG.