Summer School Intern Review

Job title - Summer School Intern. Daily tasks consisted of auditing work such as 'calling and casting', disclosure reviews and RNS reviews. 'Calling and casting' involves verifying that figures on a financial statement are correctly transferred to the notes page of a report. It also involves checking that arithmetic, spelling and the page numbers are correct according to the index. Furthermore, I completed an RNS review which involved logging major news events for the company being audited in case there are any developments that may affect the audit. Also, a disclosure review was completed whereby if a company has several subsidiaries, the data for intercompany transactions should be the same on both accounts. This task is a verification that they are both transacting the same amounts from their statements. I had the opportunity to work at a clients site which was really insightful as I got to see how the team operated and also structured their audit plan. Overall, this experience gave me a useful insight into the audit stream

I have learnt that the main skills required to be successful in this sector are communication, numerical skills and good judgement. The skills I had developed are IT skills with the use of new software such as APT as well as familiar software such as Excel. I have also utilised and improved my communication skills as a result of working effectively in a team.

I really enjoyed this programme as the staff were very friendly and welcoming. The team was always willing to help if I ever had any issues or queries. The programme was what I expected it to b so I am very happy with the experience and skills I have taken from my time here. In addition, the work set was very interesting and at times challenging; so to conclude, I enjoyed it very much.

I felt very valued at BDO: due to the friendliness of the staff and appreciation from the senior staff for any work I completed for them. Also, I was very pleased with my involvement during team projects - I felt well included in discussions and felt that my opinions were actually being heard considered. Furthermore, I was delighted with the responsibilities I was given such as handling important accounts and completing work which was directly sent to clients.

The programme was very well organised. The programme started with an induction with admin work and a breakdown of what we would be doing. This was followed by a tour of the premises. In addition, we were assigned a 'buddy' and a counselling manager who offered support throughout our time at the firm. My time at BDO was scheduled on an online planner called Retain where I could see which clients I was working on, on what day, and who the manager was so they could set me tasks to do.

N/A

I received continuous support from my buddy who was very helpful in answering any queries I had. I also had guidance from my counselling manager who provided guidance in terms of the work and tasks I was involved in.

I was paid well and reimbursed travel costs for my internship. They really looked after their interns in that sense; even whn there was a tube strike!

Yes, there are several social events, charity events, sports teams etc. There is also opportunity to volunteer in the local community,

Yes

Friendly, welcoming and helpful staff who are a pleasure to work with. Also, there are great opportunities at BDO to progress to more senor positions as well as there being great emphasis on recruiting from graduates and school leavers.

The application process is very important - check for spelling mistakes, punctuation errors and most importantly, avoid repetition. For the interview - ensure you arrive on time, meet your interviewer with a firm handshake, and just be yourself!