Training Accountant Review

In my current rotation I am in National Markets Audit. On a day to day basis I travel to client sites and audit the financial accounts of companies. From small businesses to large corporations that are household names, I have been given the knowledge and responsibility to speak to well respected individual's in a variety of different industries and businesses in order to ensure that their financial accounts are in order and correct.

I have learnt a variety of new skills from how to converse with client to how to write well structure emails and documents in a professional manner. As I am working I have to be able to communicate in a number of different mannerisms, from presentations, emails, work documents and also face to face. Other soft skills such as confidence and time management have further been improved since starting my apprenticeship. In addition to my soft skills my new knowledge of the financial industry, from financial accounts to jargon which I had never understood have been increased as working in industry really has meant that previous conversations that would be alien to me are now spoken about on a daily basis.

I would say it is a very enjoyable programme. It is not easy as you have to be driven and motivated to learn and improve as you are thrown in the deep end as from day one you speak to clients and are continually learning on and off the job for a variety of different reasons from how to manage work and study time to how check financial documents. However even though you are put in the deep end teams are really helpful and understanding that you are learning and try to help wherever possible. Days can be hard, but the friends you make and the good times you have make it all worth it.

I would say the programme is very well structured as even though you have to study and take exams along side work they have been structured with you in mind. The timings of the exams try to give you free time throughout the year so you can learn on the jobs and take time out for holidays and time out of work.

You receive a lot of support from KPMG. No matter what your problem is you can talk to someone. From personal problems to queries with exams there are numerous people you can talk to and to help with whatever the problem may be. There are a number of events, webpages, apps to help you with the hard life which is work and no time is ever a bad time as everyone who is there to assist you on the programme wants to see you succeed and develop as a person and as an employee at KPMG.

You receive a lot of support from the training provider as exams are hard. From classroom activities to online webinars there are so many ways you can learn. Past papers are what I thrived off when taking my exams and they seriously do help. Practice questions helped me to also understand the topic from another angle that I may have missed from reading my revision books alone which is key when trying to pass an exam.

I believe that my qualification does help me to perform better in my role as before this apprenticeship my knowledge of accounting was very minimal. Learning these topics in class really help you to learn the basics for your work on the job as without them the countless numbers on a page may be a blur when first starting. However on the job learning is key in this field, you realise that in theory it is one thing but actually applying it to your work may be challenging as not every business has the same systems/ procedures which can at times complicate simple work, which without on the job learning you may not understand fully.

Depending on where you are in the business can alter your thoughts on this subject. For my current position in National Markets Audit extra-curricular activities take place all the time, we currently have a monthly social doing a range of activities from bowling to go-karting for people to meet new faces as we work in such a large company. These are always with fun at the heart and really give everyone a chance to let their hair down and have a good time with their colleagues. Also a number of committees take place within the office for example religious societies.

Yes

Working at KPMG can be hard at times but everyone has the same goal which is to enjoy what they do and make it as enjoyable as possible. So if you are dedicated to learn and succeed in your career and also enjoy the journey I couldn't tell you a better place to learn and develop as a person.

Be yourself. Once you have the grades KPMG looks for individuals that really bring light to the industry. They don't look for robots and really want people to bring themselves to work and thrive. You don't need to be the same as the person next to you, all they ask is that you are true to yourself and really try your best as KPMG is a people organisation are people are at the heart of what we do, so choosing the same people for the job wouldn't work as not a single person is the same so why would you look for a one size fits all candidate?