Trainee business adviser Review

I am a trainee accountant so I prepare different sets of accounts for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies

I have been attending college and learned how to prepare accounts as well as many of the rules involved. I had no experience prior to my apprenticeship but now I am able to prepare accounts with minimal help and have learned about different accounting standards.

I very much enjoy college days and find that the college I attend is very good. In work, most days are good and when I am working on a particular job I enjoy doing it. However, on days when I have no work to do and have to find little tasks here and there I find the day drags. The people in work have been supportive and are mostly very helpful, so they have made it a better experience for me so far.

At the moment, I feel that individuals that I work with value me, and the work environment in general is a good one. However, I don't feel at all valued with regards to exams and college, as it seems that nobody seems to know when I have exams and nobody (except the couple of people in the room I work in) seems to care if I pass or not. I am asked to email a member of staff in London about passing exams and for the past two passes I have received no response. I know the college course I am doing is at the lower level at the moment but it would be nice for someone at a higher level to care how it was going.

The programme (in terms of college) is very well structured and I know exactly what courses I will be studying and when. Within work, it is difficult to keep the work I am doing to the level of knowledge and understanding I am gaining through college, so I am doing things I haven't learned yet, though this is still a good way to learn so I don't mind. I have a buddy to ask for help but I find he wasn't really given enough time to help me at the start when I really needed it.

The tutors at college are excellent and willing to provide support whenever you need it.

Individuals that I work with tend to be willing to help me when I need them in day to day work, and have helped me with various different situations. If it is particularly busy, people do tend to be too stressed to help.

Very well - at first it was too low, but it increased very quickly and now would cover rent and bills if I didn't make car payments. I still live at home and am able to save a fair chunk of money each month as well as having some disposable income for social outings.

I have never been invited to any networking events, so I don't know about company events and activities, but in terms of other social/leisure activities there are plenty around to enjoy.

Yes

Overall, the programme is a good one and the opportunities for college qualifications are excellent. I hope that some of the internal appreciation for passing these exams etc. improves as this would make the company a better one to work for, but that is not enough not to recommend them to others. As a whole, the apprenticeship is great.

Really put some thought into the answers you provide in the application form - it is extensive but if you take your time and answer thoroughly you should be ok. Just be yourself at the interviews - BDO are looking for lots of different people for a diverse culture in their offices, so they'll appreciate differences in personality. Try and be happy and confident!