Summer School Programme Intern Review

I'm working as part of the Summer School Programme at the Leeds BDO office, in the audit department. My tasks are generally calling and casting, researching prospective clients, and typing up information. I work 9.00-5.15, with an hour break, during which I'll go for lunch with other members of the Programme. I also have a supervisor who checks in on me and makes sure I have work to do and that I can complete it, but I spend most of the day around the BDO trainees who have come in through the School Leaver or Graduate programmes.

Before I came to BDO, I had never even heard of calling and casting; through this experience, I am now able to complete a call and cast on accounts, and I'm able to navigate through annual accounts with regular ease. I've learnt how to find information on the Companies House website, and also the kind of things BDO would look for if they wanted to pitch for a client.

My favourite part of the programme has been meeting all the people in the regional office. I've really enjoyed working with and for them, and they were all exceedingly friendly and welcoming. I didn't really know what to expect from the company or programme, but it has been good fun.

My manager [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] has been really nice and helpful, in fact he set aside an hour yesterday just to talk through what I'd thought of the programme so far and to talk about the different ways into accountig, which I found really useful. As I've said above, all the people in the office have been really welcoming and patient, and I've really enjoyed working with them.

The application process was very well oranised, however wasn't entirely sure what the structure of the presentation was supposed to be in the interview. The induction day in the London office was really well organised and the whole day was great fun, especially the scavenger hunt in the afternoon, which I thought was a great way of getting to know everyone. The only thing that I would have said could have made the induction better would be if there was some form of training, because when I first reached the regional office, I wasn't really sure how to do a lot of things like accessing Companies House or the protocol of completing calling and casting, which I've only just really gotten the hang of. On the first day in the regional office, I kind of felt as though they weren't so sure what to do with us. Since then, however, I've always had something to do, generally for the graduates. I felt that the hierarchy was well structured, in that I could receive work from graduates or managers.

As the programmes was for only 2 weeks, I did not receive any formal training.

[This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] from the HR team has been incredibly helpful throughout the whole process, and has always been there to answer my questions or send me lost paperwork. My mentor, [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] , has been really supportive throughout the process, and has been really helpful in explaining all the routes into BDO and accounting. The graduates and school leavers have also been really supportive, talking me through the pros and cons of the two different career routes and have also been very patient in explaining tasks to me and have provided useful feedback.

My only cost has been train tickets, for which I am being refunded, so the salary meets my costs well.

As the programme is only for 2 weeks, I haven't taken part in any opportunites outside of work, however I have been informed about initiatives BDO take part in, such as the Pearl programme, which offers training to women to support women in managerial positions.

Yes

I'd recommend it because all my collegues were so welcoming and supportive throughout the process, even though I came into the programme with no prior knowledge of accounting.

The application process for the School Leaver Programme is long, but it's worth it. Don't worry about the interview, everyone is very welcoming and will want you to succeed. If you get a place on the School Leaver Programme, make an effort to get to know your coworkers and managers because they'll all be able to help through the programme and will always be willing to take the time to talk you through the process. Also, when you're at your regional office, make sure you bring a calculator...