Audit Associate Review

I work in Audit at the Canary Wharf, working both from home and in office. I started off doing bank reconciliations (comparing the entities bank accounts to internal records), preparing work papers (for others to complete for complex audit work in), summarising minutes of meetings and completing screens on the file where we document our audit.

The most prevalent skill that you will/ I have developed in joining Audit is within Excel as it is used in every part of an Audit. I started with very basic excel knowledge (they don't expect you to know anything, don't worry) and slowly I am becoming more experienced, confident and capable.

I am definitely enjoying my programme. The first topic in college was a bit trickier to get my head round as I had no experience in accounting, however at some point the topic will just click and it all makes sense! Ever since then the college topics have become slightly easier as I now have that basic understanding of accounting.

I like the way the our stints of college are organised, we have a period of college (lasting 1 day - 2 weeks) and then an exam which follows roughly a month after. Then we will have a short break away from college/ learning/ revising before the next exam which is nice! We also have a lot of support available about content and our wellbeing from both the college and KPMG student teams.

KPMG offers a high amount of support for apprentices, there are specific teams dedicated to the helping but also the well being of students/ apprentices. We are always reminded that if we don't feel fit enough or we have other personal circumstances that may affect how our exam may go not to sit it. We also have healthcare benefits available (that also include mental health).

BPP offers a lot of support, the Sunday before an exam they have a live Q&A with a tutor available for any questions we may have, any tutor I have ever had has reiterated how they are available for us to ask any questions. We also have regular catch up calls with them.

What I have learnt in college so far continues to come up in my the actual work that I do within Audit, allowing me to rely less on asking my colleagues questions. When I continue further with my accounting exams there are specific topics that cover Audit and Assurance which I am sure will help me even more.

KPMG offers plenty of societies for diverse groups of people, there are networks for Muslims, Sikhs, LQBTQ+, women, etc, these networks do a lot of socials activities within themselves. There's the opportunity to get involved with KPMG sporting teams, such as netball, football, etc.

Yes

Everyone I have met has been really lovely and welcoming, they always are available and open to helping me with any questions I may have (whether they are work related or not). There are also many opportunities that KPMG can give you access to, from moving within KPMG and opportunities post.

My advice would be to make sure you dedicate your time to the interview process (even though it may seem overwhelming) as they are so many applicants for apprentice roles it is important to give it your all in order to stand out. Also, don't stress about assessment centres! Everyone wants you to do your best it isn't a trick!