Finance Graduate Review

Current role is a mix of commercial and finance responsibilities. Primary focus is to assist the financial controller on my contract with their day-to-day, month end reporting obligations and additional management accounting analysis. External to Kier I liaise with the contracts client on payment negotiations and individual job value investigations.

I have learned more in this graduate scheme than at any other job previously. The formal aspect of my training has been to study CIMA, this forms the backbone of the scheme. My training provider Kaplan also assists with development days on tertiary skills outside of the accounting skillset (leadership, communication etc.). There is also scope for external training courses subject to approval such as first aid/health and safety courses.

The work itself has been consistently varied and coupled with a rotation to a new area of the business mid-rotation this has allowed me to see the business from multiple angles. The company culture has definitely shifted in the wake of COVID and I feel it is much better adapted to the modern working environment. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on this apprenticeship.

When I first started the programme did lack structure, it took a number of months before we could even get started on our formal CIMA studies which has had a knock on effect towards the end of my scheme with still requiring an extra 6 months to complete my exams. As the scheme progressed its organisation definitely improved and I feel that newer graduates on the scheme definitely have a much improved structure to their programme. Work itself for me felt like a separate entity to the learning and development part of the scheme, which I found helpful as it has allowed for real world unfiltered experience alongside consistent learning.

I have received significant support from my employer both in terms of HR requests and support from my line managers and direct team. I feel that everyone i've come across has been helpful and approachable and understands the position I am in, I have never felt unwelcome or a hindrance when it has come to juggling studies and full time work.

There has been some issue regarding the talent coach my training provider assigned to me, initially it took around 8 months before anyone was even allocated to me, and since then I have had two coaches leave their jobs meaning reassignment time and getting to know a new coach, this hasn't been ideal. Outside of this aspect, the actual classes and training days have been excellent for support.

My CIMA qualification certainly helps me frame bigger picture elements of my role in a way which I can understand and I am at the point now where I do feel like a knowledgeable team member who can contribute to important contract discussion. For direct applicability of the theory I have learned however I do feel that there lacks some overlap.

In the first half of my scheme I was located as the (now sold) headquarters, this was perfect for extra-curricular stuff, I played football with colleagues at lunch and used the onsite gym almost daily, this was excellent for networking. Since moving to a contract which is very isolated from the rest of Kier I feel this outside interaction has dropped significantly, but that's to be expected with an on site role compared to a central one.

Yes

Kier have been an excellent employer to me and I feel I am very lucky to have participated on this scheme and the benefits it provides. There definitely feels like strong career progression is possible through Kier without having to resort to out-of-date practices like being in the office every day or staying late frequently.

Looking specifically at the finance scheme I enrolled on, I would suggest that enthusiasm for what Kier are doing and some of their current key projects would help make you noticeable in assessment days etc. I feel I had a significant leg up on some other applicants due to having experienced a number of assessment days prior to Kier's, if it is your first then go in without the expectation that you must get the role at all costs and more as a learning experience, it will allow you to be more relaxed and come across far better as a result. I would have liked to have been told that a long wait time between application stages (CV, video interview, assessment day) is to be expect and not to let it take over your life for a few months!