360 apprentice Review

I am on KPMG’s 360 programme and have completed a placement in audit and tax and currently am completing a placement within Consulting. My day to day role in consulting currently involves completing workpapers for different lenders by requesting information from clients and using this to complete the required testing (with the information/documentation complied). My role also involves joining regular team catch ups, for any key developments or updates to the project.

I have gained many skills during my apprenticeship that are invaluable. My communication skills have improved by interacting with different people in the firm and working with a wide range of grades and people. I have also improved in time management as some deadlines are very tight to complete certain tasks, and my technical skills by using excel and software have also improved by using these regularly.

I have very much enjoyed my placements within audit, tax and consulting. Despite a large part of the programme being completed from home due to COVID 19 the programme has seen been enjoyable, and members from all of my teams have been very welcoming, and look forward to completing the rest of the programme.

The programme is well structured. We are given clear dates as to when our placement will start and end, and when our college dates are in advance. The length of the placements are a good length of around 6 months per rotation, with regular catch up's every few months with BPP to allow us to reflect on our progress.

Within every placement that we rotate in to, we are given a 'buddy' and performance managers assigned to us who we can have regular catch ups with to discuss any concerns. We can also raise any concerns relating to exams or our apprenticeship to the apprenticeship team. Thus there is a lot of support always available from our employer.

For our tuition/exams we are provided the materials for our syllabus, practice questions and online portal around 2 weeks in advance which are very helpful in preparing us for exams. We also have live and pre recorded online classes every few months and are given a few weeks to prepare for exams. There is also an online forum available for any exam specific questions, so there is always lots of support for our AAT qualification.

Although not all the exams can be relevant to your placement, some of the exams completed have helped in my daily work. For example the content covered in different exams has helped me to understand financial statements better and think about what the financial statements mean. I have also come across certain accounting terminology in my exams that are used in day to day work which links exams and the work completed in my role.

There are many virtual and in person events you can get involved in within your department as well as with other apprentices or within your office. Some examples include; virtual social events, coffee catch ups, charity events, socials etc... there is something for everyone.

Yes

If you are interested in accounting and are/or a looking for an alternative to university then this is a good programme. It provides lots of work experience, improves your technical skills learning on the job. Also you are directly involved and included in different projects and work which is a very valuable experience.

Think of how you align with KPMG’s values, and link this to real life examples where you have demonstrated these. Also research the different departments to understand which teams or business areas might be of interest to you. Work hard in your role but also focus on doing well in exams.