Audit assistant Review

Even though I'm only an apprentice, I do get quite a bit of responsibility. I do varies checks like profit and loss reviews, checking fixed asset additions against invoices, payroll and headcount checks, etc. I also do planning which involves planning analytics, comments, ratios and different walkthroughs, process notes and flowcharts. The jobs I do change on daily basis so it's hard to pinpoint the routine. However, it mainly involves using excel, speaking to the client and asking them for proof. I do have to say that once you learn something, it can easily be applied to your next piece of work/next client. There is always an amazing team around you to help and ensure you're understanding the work you're doing.

My confidence has definitely improved since having to speak to different clients and work with different teams. I have also volunteered to do different workshops at schools (every employee at KPMG gets an allowance of hours to do charity work) which has massively developed my presentation and communication skills whilst building on my confidence too. Along all of these things, teamwork always comes in play. I have experienced some great teamwork with everybody willing to help each other no matter the age/experience/gender/colour.

So far, I have really enjoyed my programme. I have never been the person to sit and read books day in and day out so the fact that I do actually get the chance to learn whilst being able to go out there and work at the same time is amazing. There's always something different; different client, different location, different work piece. We also then get to study and take our exams throughout the programme which is great as we don't have to speak a year or two learning before we're able to apply that knowledge in an exam.

The programme is pretty well organised as from the start we are told how long the programme is, what qualification we will get each year, what we get at the end of the programme and we get the exam dates about 1 year in advance so it's easy to plan around them (i.e. when to book your holidays and when not to).

There is a lot of support offered from my employer. They have different types of support for different issues. Firstly, we all have a manager assigned to us who check up on us every 2-3 months (have a meeting or a call) to make sure we are happy, getting on okay with work and have no issues. We can contact our assigned manager whenever we need to speak to them. We're also always in teams for each client. These teams are made up of different people with different levels of experience. This is great as you then always have somebody to ask for help. On top of this, we also receive support when it comes to studies. They provide study leave days before the exams, varies materials, allow deferrals if needed and give you another chance at sitting your exam if you fail.

BPP have also got great support when it comes to the studies. Every other month, we have a 1 to 1 call with somebody from their team that check up on us, see how we're finding the exams, what skills we're developing, how we're finding work, whether we're able to apply the training to the programme, etc. They also help us set up goals to reach for to keep us motivated. As well as that, they provide a lot of materials to help us study for the exams including mock tests.

My qualification definitely helps me perform better in my role. This is because it build my knowledge on accounting and therefore, I am able to apply that knowledge to my every day tasks. For example, in our first course, we are taught about income statements and balance sheets which I now use near enough everyday so I'm able to apply what I have learnt as I didn't know much about them before I started.

This was to my surprise but actually there are so many activities to get involved with at KPMG. There are different sports teams; I am part of our netball team. There are also socials going across the year. We have Christmas balls, different charity balls, summer balls, etc. KPMG is heavily involved with charities which bring a lot of activities to get involved with to raise money; from cake sales to rowing challenge to bike rides to mud runs. As mentioned previously, we also have an allowance of hours to do charity work so for example, I volunteer to go into schools and deliver different workshops and presentations.

Yes

It is a great company to work for, they look after you whilst providing education and work experience. I am very happy I made the choice to apply here and even happier that I have got this opportunity. At the end of my 5 year programme, I will have 5 years of work experience and a Masters degree equivalent. This opens up so many opportunities in life.

Ensure you take interest in the company and don't just apply because you're looking to get in somewhere. Do your research and reach out to people that already work for KPMG. Take any networking opportunity like insight days. Take details of who you met, when and where. This will show that you genuinely have the passion for this job.