Trainee Associate Review

On the school leaver program you are given the choice of pensions assurance or risk assurance. I'm in pensions so on an average day I will usually be in the office working on a client file which is usually lots of sections for the different bits of the audit. However there are often site visits and usually plenty of client interaction whetehr that be in person or via email. There is also the opportunity to gain experience in corporate audit (audit of commercial clients etc).

I understand how an audit works now, what an auditor will look for etc, my computer skills have improved and I have a greater understanding of how companies work, how pension schemes work and what opportunities there are for me in my career going forward. I've learnt how to be a professional and interact with clients/colleagues.

It's actually really good. The office is really nice and there's a good social side as most people are school leavers or graduates so everyone is a similar age doing a similar job and so we all have a good time outside of work. The work itself is like anything, it has its good moments and also the days to forget. On the whole though it's positive, enough so that I've recommended it to everyone I know and I don't dread coming to work as has been the case with jobs I've had in the past.

I can't fault the structure, we have dedicated college time to go to college or study from home and there's clear progression through the grades each year. There are several training weeks/days during the course to bring us up to speed on some aspects. When you're on study days people from work don't ask you to do work as well.

Support is good, I've had time off for surgery and everyone was very supportive and there was no rush to get me back to work or people contacting me asking for work to be completed whilst I was recovering. If I have other problems, I (and everyone else) has a career coach who we can go to to discuss issues and in addition to that we have group leaders for our social groups who would also make time for us. Absolutely everyone is willing to give support and physical and mental well being are really being put at the forefront of our thinking.

Support is good, I haven't used it much but for each exam there is a tutor and if we have questions they will answer them during class or they will answer outside of class time if we have problems with some of the self managed learning etc. The learning materials are excellent and with enough work allow everyone to pass the exams comfortably.

The qualification is what we're all working towards and it does relate quite a lot to our work whether that's debits and credits or some of the more technical areas. As the exams get harder they become more relevant and this goes well with having a more advanced role at the company as you progress.

There are so many activities. We regularly have big social events but there's also a sports day, away days, quizzes, invitations to various events such as a cheese and wine networking event I attended. In addition I play 5/7-a-side football weekly with a group from work but there are also other sports such as a rugby and hockey tournament and then smaller things like baking events and of course, drinks after work. One of the company's best features!

Yes

This job pays reasonably well and that improves as you go through the grades. The people are probably the best part but the work is decent, we have flexible working so our hours aren't fixed to a certain time frame. It's sociable, the offices are really nice, there's good support and the company pays to put us through the ACA qualification (college and exams). And when you complete the programme there are opportunities to go abroad, try other departments, progress in your current department or just go into industry with a strong CV.

Do your research, there are lots of forums with advice, tips and tricks, what to expect etc. This is the best possible preparation for the assessment centre etc. Have some knowledge of the company/what we do and current stories in the financial/business news etc, it's important to seem interested. Don't stress out, it's really just a few tests and they're not too bad. Finally be prepared to work hard, there are busy patches and quiet patches so don't expect it to be easy all the time. Showing a good attitude will get you a long way.