Trainee Business Advisor Review

I am currently a trainee business advisor in the BDODrive team at BDO. I work closely with the AFR team, who focus on accounts preparation. I also take time in the local team, who prepare accounts while also advising clients on how best to run their business. In and around this there are also CSR opportunities which allow me to get involved with charity and the community.

Upon finishing this programme, I will be a fully chartered accountant, with AAT and ACCA qualifications. Coinciding with this I learn new skills every single day on the job and BDO provide a variety of courses teaching you about accounting software or leadership skills etc. All the skills learnt build you up to be a well-rounded accountant with the ability to perform to your best.

I enjoy my programme a lot. I come to work knowing I will learn something new every day, around people I can happily talk to. The culture is friendly and the programme has definitely exceeded my expectations (with both content and the people around me). There is always someone to talk to if needed and always help available.

I feel valued in my role and I definitely feel people trust me with some quite tough even though I started less than a year ago. My manager works closely with me making sure expectations are met and giving praise where due. Recognition is given if earned and there is always a scope to be involved with tasks, such as charity days.

The programme is pretty well structured with a chronological plan in place (all going well). However, there can be improvement with the qualifications team with dates etc. If I need help with college work, I can immediately get help from colleagues and I get study leave in preparation for exams. The workload is never too much so that I don’t get time to focus on study.

My provider gives plenty of support for every exam. There is always someone available to email/call if you need help. There are also resources online to work through/read as well as lots of paperback material. The guidance given is generally very helpful and the attitude towards helping you as a person is always very positive. Days learning new material can be quite enjoyable (as enjoyable as college can be).

Support is readily available from my employer. If I am ever struggling with knowledge/content I can approach anyone in the office and receive the help I need, as everyone wants to see you progress and learn. Everyone is happy to help at some point unless they are too busy; however they will point you in someone else's direction.

Currently I live at home so I don't require many living costs, so I haven't really thought about the impact that would have on my salary yet. However, with experience and qualifications the increase in salary will leave definitely enough money to live a well-rounded life with your own living costs included, the hardest part of this is saving enough money to get a deposit for a house. Travel costs do take up quite a chunk of money each month and getting to work is probably the only negative about the job (I live in Preston and work in Manchester). The trains cost a lot, and there is a problem near enough every single day, sometimes twice a day. I have more than enough money for social life; I can go to various events and go away when I want which is something I am grateful for.

There are many opportunities outside of work to get involved with; we have social events such a first Fridays (first Friday of the month) where you get to socialise and do different activities. I also get involved in the football team where we play various games and are even going to a tournament in Marseilles. There are also many charity events with different things always going on and you can readily get involved. BDO allow you up to 10 days of time a year to focus on charity events.

Yes

Doing a trainee programme at BDO you can have a good balance in life. You get plenty of work but not too much, so that there is always time to study and have a social life. Everyone is friendly and you can have a good time in work and never feel bad about yourself. As well as getting your qualifications, you can do it while having a good time.

I think the best way to advertise yourself is to just be yourself. BDODrive is about thinking innovatively and bringing in new ideas to the team. In the application process I would say; put in as much detail as possible as well as reading up on BDO and intertwining yourself with BDO to show you would be a good fit. On the video interview, I would recommending staying calm and just let the words flow. Your answers won't be perfect as you have never seen the questions beforehand. When I did mine, for one question I didn't say a word (my mind went blank) so don't expect yourself to be perfect in this part of the process and don't panic if you struggle at parts. On the assessment day, there are various activities. On mine, I wasn't the most knowledgeable there, however I think BDO are looking for a good fit for the job and firm, rather than current accounting ability. Don't big yourself up too much, rather show how you can work in a team and work to time limits (you can sell yourself up in the 1 to 1 interview).