Audit trainee Review

I perform audit and assurance work on a number of the firm's natural resources and energy clients. This involves a significant amount of data processing, communication with the client and the BDO team, and documentation of the work I haver performed. Typical working hours are between 8:30 to 7:00 but during busy periods this is often significantly later.

Audit is a very good place to improve accounting skills as you are exposed to a wide range of clients, and a number of complex accounting transactions. It is not uncommon to be working alongside the client's senior finance team and so professional development is essential and developed very fast.

The apprenticeship has provided a number of very exciting projects which I would not normally have the opportunity to undertake (e.g. visiting a producing mine, international travel). The workload is very heavy at times and management can set unreasonable expectations if you set a precedent of high-quality work. I enjoy the nature of the work and the social elements of the team, but the volume of work makes the job very unpleasant at times.

The project is generally very well organised as it has been running for decades, and there are a large number of other trainees in each intake. The communication between BDO and BPP (training provider) is sometimes not clear and this can lead to some administrative difficulties regarding exams and training.

BDO make a conscious effort to support the trainees from a senior management level. There are structures in place to provide trainees with support (e.g. each trainee is assigned a counselling manager and a counselling partner), but often when it comes down to the day to day work, the expectations are very high and the workload is very intense. Middle management are stretched and sometimes this results in the staff feeling exhausted and unsupported.

BDO is very good at enshrining college and study leave ahead of exams. The time is booked out in each trainee's calendar and they cannot be booked to a job during the training periods. The time provided is generous, but the exams are demanding and additional free time and weekend revision is required on top.

Generally I have found that my learning in my day-to-day role is faster than my qualification learning, and so I have often covered a number of the exam topics before I attend college. Nonetheless, there is a significant amount of crossover between many of the exams and the day-to-day work and this is very helpful with work and studies.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the extra curricular agenda has slowed significantly. Generally, there is usually a regular schedule of social events (roughly once or twice a quarter), but this depends on the team. BDO have a number of sporting teams but these are generally not very prominent, and organised ad hoc.

Yes

BDO is a good place to start a career as there is a good support structure in place for the ACA and the learning opportunities are very high both in regards to technical and professional development. I would warn that the workload is extremely taxing and as a trainee it often feels like hard work is only rewarded with more work as managers begin to expect you to output at the same rate.

There are a number of different business lines and sectors available. It would be a good idea to identify an area you are particularly interested in (tax, financial sector audit, etc.) and highlight this on your application. During interviews and assessment centres focus on applying the core competencies and BDO values in your answer.