Flying Start Degree Programme - Placement 2 (Bristol) Review

Working as a team with other members of the firm (whether virtually or in-person, and often coming from different offices) to complete audit work for a client. As a new joiner I often receive a lot of coaching from my seniors daily, and due to the pandemic we make use of Google Hangouts and Google Chats to do this.

I believe that I have learnt to develop my listening skills and my questioning skills - I have found that on this placement compared to my previous that I have been more pro-active in asking relevant questions and that I am beginning to question how the work I perform contributes to the overall audit.

I do enjoy the programme since I believe it is an amazing opportunity to kick-start your career if this industry is one that you would like to go into in the future. Even if you do not, I believe that the placement experience is extremely valuable and that I have learnt a lot of soft-skills from placement.

From the placement side I believe it is very organised - we always have support and contacts to go to whenever we need help and they have always responded to queries very quickly. I feel that the university could sometimes be more communicative with us students (especially around resit examinations and during placement).

I receive a lot of support during my time on placement, and I feel that every problem or issue that I have had so far has been resolved in a timely manner. Whenever I have had questions about placement I would always receive a resolution and this has made the overall placement experience very good.

I feel that the university does give us support and do answer our questions, but that during placement there is little to no communication between us on placement and the university which makes it feel like there is a lack of support coming from the university which makes it feel somewhat daunting returning to university.

I think that it gives a good background or somewhat of a foundation to prepare us for the placement experience. If I had not been studying any accounting topics in university I doubt that placement would be this same experience; although sometimes during placement I feel way out of my depth and like I know nothing, at least I am familiar with the words that are thrown around when I receive coaching from my seniors.

There have been some activities that are trying to be arranged for when the Covid-19 pandemic is not as serious, but due to the new variant becoming a dominant Covid-19, I think that these activities are being postponed to a later date probably in the next year. Since I am only on placement for 3 months or so at a time (and all having been during the pandemic) I am not sure.

Yes

I think it is a great working environment for growth, somewhere where you will be fully supported and a great place to work with clear career progression opportunities. The people you meet are inspiring and often give really great advice, and everyone is just so friendly that it feels like you are welcome there.

That almost everyone has been in the same boat as you at some point or another, and that there really is no silly question to ask - everyone is willing to help so just be pro-active and reach out to people for coaching. It is a great place to develop your skills.