360 Apprentice Review

On a day-to-day basis I travel to client offices to assist on audits. I work as part of a team to complete work within a given deadline and learn new skills each day. I have gained more experience and knowledge than I ever thought I would have in my first year of the apprenticeship.

I have gained many new skills during my time in audit so far and I expect this will continue throughout the apprenticeship. As I rotate around the firm I will gain knowledge of each sector of the business in order to decide where I would like to specialise. I think the way this apprenticeship works is great as it allows you to gain experience in each department before making a judgement as to where you would like to specialise.

I am very much enjoying the programme so far and it has exceeded my expectations. The opportunities you are given and the people you get to meet makes the apprenticeship a great alternative to university.

From what I have experienced so far, the programme is very well organised and there is a great team on hand to help with any issues you may have. The only downside is that it is not guaranteed that you will get to rotate around each department. The rotations are based on business needs as well as personal preference which is understandable.

The support from KPMG is great. When you join you are given many people who you are able to contact with any queries, such as your performance manager. This is really useful as there is always someone available to help with any problems you may have, whether this is work-related or not.

BPP are a great training provider and there is always someone available to help with any issues you may have. You have regular calls with BPP to ensure you are on track with the learning and to check how you are doing both from a tuition perspective as well as a work perspective. The tuition is great and the materials you are given for each exam are very useful.

The knowledge I have gained through studying with BPP has helped on a daily basis whilst working in audit. I regularly come across things in audit which I learnt in my first couple of weeks at college. This is really useful as it allows you to make the most of your time in each department by having a small amount of prior knowledge. Despite this there is still a lot to learn but this is gained through experience.

KPMG have a huge range of social events taking place each week. This helps to significantly improve your confidence being straight from sixth form, and also your network.

Yes

I would definitely recommend looking at this programme as an alternative to university. I have gained so much experience and knowledge in my first year due to having had the opportunity to work on a range of clients with many different people. There is also a great apprentice community which helps you to settle in.

I would recommend putting yourself forward for any opportunities given to you. It is definitely important to make the most of your experience and expand your network through social events or volunteering. It is important to be confident and ask questions when you are unsure.