Apprentice Review

My role is within the Technology team at KPMG. I am on the Service Desk which includes client communication as clients/users of different domains and environments will contact us if they are experiencing any issues such as a slow response or if a user is locked out from their account. My day consists of working through the tickets in the queue and assigning tickets to myself and completing it within a time specific deadline. Usually the most common tickets are creating accounts in different environments, unlocking accounts, resetting passwords etc.

This role has allowed me to build on my communication skills. I have never been a confident individual when I am surrounded with others and when I lack in knowledge in a specific area. Technology is completely new to me and I have no previous experience or knowledge in it, therefore it was very daunting when I first started. I've always struggled to communicate via telephone and so it has helped me reduce my anxiety levels as I have to call users directly.

Currently I am not enjoying my placement as much as I would have hoped. The workload isn't challenging enough and I only have access to a certain amount of environments, therefore I am unable to complete and resolve the challenging tickets. The team are nice but I am still not completely settled as it takes me a while to adapt to change. I am excited to move teams and placements and try the Accountancy side and I hope it is a good experience. My team are also unaware of 360 Apprentices or have little knowledge and therefore I am not presented with much work.

I feel valued by KPMG as a whole however I am unsure if I would feel valued within my team. My line manager is not very communicative with me and although he is part of KPMG, I feel as though the technology side of KPMG is valued differently to the accountancy side. Apprentices are also not valued within the teams generally - they are given the basic admin work that other members wouldn't necessarily want to complete.

Generally the programme is structured and organised. The induction was organised very well, however it was very overwhelming as there was an early 9am start and 7pm finish - it was very difficult for me as I had travelled down 3 hours to the place of the induction that morning, so I was extremely tired. It was also a full on experience and couple of days with no breaks or time to relax. The tutorials were also intense and a bit pointless but overall it was a very good experience as I had the opportunity to meet the other 180 apprentices from all over the country. The support provided is very much appreciated and the study materials too. We have regular meetings with our performance manager and they are easily accessible which is very beneficial, especially as a new joiner.

During the time we sat our exams, we regularly got emails from our tutors asking if we needed any help which was good. We had an intense 2 week course at college and exams a couple of weeks after which I liked as it was fresh in our heads. We have not heard from our tutor since the exams which is understandable as we have not been in college but if there were any queries I know they would help. I did enjoy my time in college for the 2 weeks we were there as I prefer face to face teaching rather than online teaching, however I did feel as though the class was very intense and I struggled in understanding some parts of the course, and by default, if you didn't understand the previous day's lesson you would not understand that day's lesson.

My line manager has not given me any support but that is understandable as I have not asked for any support yet. If I were to ask I'm certain he would help. I have not contacted the HR team nor have they contacted me but again, I'm certain they would too. There are many ways we can contact other individuals with any issues, especially our performance manager which is very handy.

The office I work in is not far from where I live and therefore I commute an hour everyday including walking, bus and train. The cost for travel is very expensive and totals to over £1000 in a year. My office does not provide free parking and therefore it is pointless travelling via car although it would be a lot better than public transport. The salary provided is decent however after deducting the amount that we pay in tax, national insurance, travel and other expenses, it could be a lot higher. It is unfortunate that the apprentices from further south i.e. London get paid considerably more than the ones up north. I understand it is due to location and London being expensive but it is considerably higher than ours.

Yes there are many opportunities outside of work such as volunteering for charities, taking part in tournaments such as 5 a side football, being an apprentice representative etc. There are emails regularly coming through about tickets to events e.g theatre, singers etc. There are many opportunities which is very helpful and nice to have a break from the work environment.

Yes

Yes I would recommend to a friend as it is a very good company which will allow you to build your career and climb up the ladder. As apprentices it might be harder to climb up the ladder but by networking and taking all opportunities presented in front of you, it will be much easier. There are many benefits from working in the firm such as Flextra, health benefits etc. You are also provided with a company phone and laptop which is always a bonus. The company really promotes diversity and inclusion which I really admire, especially in comparison to the other big 4 firms.

For the application process - be as articulate as you can be as you have a word limit and various questions. Be specific, articulate, communicate effectively and plan your answer. For the assessment centre - be fully prepared. Go over different questions e.g scenario based questions, behavioural capabilities, KPMG's values. Dress smart, look professional, speak in a well mannered way. Show interest and enthusiasm and be yourself. Have a conversation with the interviewer rather than a full interview. Be prepared but don't be over prepared as you will sound rehearsed.