Trainee Audit Review

I mainly work within the audit department of the Guildford office, but I have also had a day in each of BSA, Tax, and Pensions. My tasks have been calling and casting, preparing accounts, rolling figures forward, setting up leadsheets and preparing a tax advisory report for a made-up company.

I am now able to understand how accounts are structured and things like balance sheets. I feel much more confident in my use of Excel and Word. I also understand some terminology that I'd never even heard of before, such as materiality. Overall, I just generally feel more confident in my abilities.

Overall I would say I have really enjoyed the programme. I got the chance to visit both the London and the Gatwick offices, which was interesting. The people I have met have all been very friendly and willing to help me out if I get stuck. The work can get quite repetitive as the main things I am able to do as an unqualified person are calling and casting, which isn't the most exciting job but I wasn't expecting to be given high-level jobs anyway. I particularly enjoyed my day working with the tax department and I like the fact that every Friday in August is a dress-down day. I feel like I have definitely been given an insight into what a job as an accountant is really like.

I feel like I have been just about as valued as I could be for someone who's only there for 2 weeks. Most people have acknowledged my presence which is nice but sometimes I did feel a bit awkward as Guildford is quite a small office where everyone knows everyone, and obviously I don't know everyone yet, but that is to be expected as a new person. I feel like the work I have done has contributed to the company and wasn't just something given to me so that I'd have something to do, which is a nice feeling.

To be completely honest, I think the programme could've been structured a bit better. The first 2 days in London and Gatwick were very well structured, but when I started in my office I felt myself having to ask around for work rather than being given work, which was difficult for me as I'm a quiet person so I felt like I was annoying people when I was continually asking for something else to do. I would've preferred to know exactly what I was supposed to do that day rather than being given a task to get on with and then having to find something else to do when I was done, but maybe that would've been difficult to sort out. It was also a bit disappointing that E-Learning was not set up properly for me, as I would've liked to have had access to it. Overall though, people were good at finding me things that I was able to do despite my lack of experience.

As I was only there for 2 weeks I did not have a training provider.

Lots of support was available to me. I had my buddy who was really really friendly but unfortunately she was only around for the first week, however it wasn't a problem as another friendly buddy and the audit manager were available to help me instead. Also a graduate who was working in Tax gave me his email and told me I could send him any questions at all, which was very kind of him. I was encouraged to ask questions all the time.

All my travel was paid for and most of my lunches have been paid for as well, in addition to the £200 I will receive, which I was not expecting at all.

I have heard of opportunities outside of work such as the summer barbecue which I would definitely have attended if I was a permanent worker. I went out to the pub for lunch 3 times which was nice.

Yes

I would absolutely recommend BDO because it's a big enough company to be important but it's a small enough company to value each individual member of staff. It seems like both the school leaver programme and the graduate programme are well structured and the people have all been very welcoming, in fact I have not met a person at BDO that I did not like. If I get offered a place on the school leaver programme I think I will take it.

Don't be put off by the long application process. It is definitely long considering this is just work experience but when you think about it, it makes sense as they may offer you a place on the school leaver programme afterwards. The interview is not that scary because the interviewer will understand that you're only 16/17 and have very limited experience. Do try and remember BDO's 4 key values though, unless you want to be like me and look like an idiot when you're asked and can only remember 2. Also don't panic too much about the presentation, it's not very formal at all.