360 Apprentice Review

My role included moving around departments every 6 months between the main departments at KPMG i.e. tax, audit, consulting and deals advisory. This gives you a taste of the different departments and what they have to offer. After the first 3 years (6 different placements), you are able to pick your specialisation department where you will complete your L7 studies and your next 3 years. This means every day is different and my day-to-day role varies massively.

Since starting the apprenticeship, I have been able to both learn and develop new skills. One skill that I feel I have been able to develop the most is my communication skills, this has included communication with both clients and fellow colleagues. I feel that this has improved my professionalism and I now feel more confident in communicating with clients to the best of my ability. Some other skills I feel I have developed is prioritisation, how to deal with stressful situations and being able to balance work and study.

I have really enjoyed being able to move round departments every 6 months, and this was one of the main reasons that I picked this programme as I was unsure which department would suit me best. Some other benefits of this programme has meant that I have been able to grow my internal network and also relate my exams to multiple different departments to increase my knowledge.

During the apprenticeship, the structure of my programme did mean that I moved around every 6 months, however it was sometimes difficult to be able to move into the departments that I wanted to learn about the most. I also feel that communication has always been either vague or very last minute meaning we have generally left feeling confused about what was soon about to happen.

I feel that I have always received lots of support from my employer, both from either my team that I work with on a daily basis or the apprenticeship team. I know that if I ever have any issues with exams, I am able to go to either one of them for support.

One positive aspect of support from BPP, is that I have always found tutors to be supportive after tuition with any questions that I have on the exams. The forum is also a great addition to the BPP hub as this gives quick answers to any of the questions I have. However, there is a lack of support from BPP themselves and the dedicated KPMG team as they are difficult to get hold of and usually dont know the answers.

I feel that sometimes the qualification is applicable to my day to day role. For example, the external auditing and the financial statements of limited companies exams, helped to increase my knowledge on the theory behind the audit. However, I have also found in the majority of my departments that I struggle to relate my knowledge from qualifications to my day to day job

I am a current member of the Leeds Chartered accountants social society, where I organise socials for other accounting trainees from firms across Leeds. This is a great opportunity to expand my external network and make new friends. I am also part of the KPMG netball team, which is a great opportunity to expand my internal network.

Yes

I have so far really enjoyed my apprenticeship with KPMG as the company provides myself with never ending opportunities across the country and also the world. I also love the people that work at KPMG, they have always been so supportive in helping me navigate my career and be the best that I can possibly be.

One tip would be to understand the KPMG values, as these are applicable to all the work that I do every day. It's also really important to be yourself, KPMG are really focused on their employees so its important that they see the true you so they can see if you are fit for the company.