KPMG 360 Apprentice Review

In my role in Audit daily tasks are hardly ever the same, it is heavily dependent on the client that you are working on. Every day you are required to interact with people internally and externally with clients, this is usually in person but email communication is very often used also.

A new skill I have learnt is time management, as it is common that you could have outstanding work from clients that you no longer have time assigned to. So time management is key in getting all your work done in a timely manner. I have also really developed my communication skills due to being required to communicate with a wide range of people in which I would usually not come into contact with.

I am less than a year in to my program but I can honestly say I am enjoying it and I thrive off the opportunities that come my way. I am extremely dedicated to work hard and succeed within the firm so the high pressure environment and sometimes long hours do not really phase me.

Of my experiences on the program so far, I have not experienced anything which would make me feel the program is unorganised. It is clearly set out in advance the path that my scheme follows and when I should qualify. I also really like the idea you can 'fast track' the scheme, of which I have recently applied to do.

When you first start it is common to get sent out to clients alone for Stocktakes or Grant Audits, unfortunately I did not feel like I received sufficient support/training prior to these occasions in my case. But reflecting back on this I think it was a really good way to learn and it wasn't as bad as I first thought them first experiences were going to be.

At KPMG we have a 'Professional Qualifications Accreditations' team which are quite frequently in contact, along with BPP, to advise on what I need to be doing when and any changed in exam dates or study leave. During my level 3 AAT I have felt the sufficient study leave has been given.

I feel like certain parts of the qualification I am studying are very relevant and help me on a day to day basis to understand tasks I have been given. These topics include double entry bookkeeping, accruals, and prepayments. There are certain parts of the qualification I have not yet come across in my work in Audit including the Management Accounting Costing unit.

There are many extra curricular activities to get involved with at KPMG Newcastle. There are many socials after work and on weekends that often get good attendance and Audit meals at the end of Audits for big clients. There are also regular sports occasions including an inter company football tournament, Netball team and Mixed tag rugby team.

Yes

I would recommend KPMG to a friend as there is so many opportunities to be had at a Firm like this and the potential to progress quickly is unrivalled. Also the benefits are a lot better for an apprentice than they are at smaller firms/organisations or in the public sector.

First of all I would advise to look into the scheme thoroughly before joining to make sure it is the right choice for them as 6 years is a long commitment. I would also advise to really look at the advertisement of the job and emphasise the things KPMG are specifically looking for in your application.