KPMG 360 Apprentice Review

This really depends on what department you are put in as the KPMG 360 programme allows you to rotate between departments within Audit, Tax and Advisory (you will have more of a broad rotation if you work in London and other larger offices). I'm an apprentice in audit and I assist in client audits for National Markets (private sector). We visit client sites and query the clients on several sections such as Revenue, Expenditures, Payables, etc. You speak to the client face to face and you learn a lot in each audit as you get a lot of exposure and responsibility.

I have definitely developed existing skills and learnt new ones. Due to the job, you are exposed to team work, independent work, communication at all times, integrity and adaptability as all client are different. We also have Forums where they teach us main skills, such as presentation and communication, and we have activities to develop these.

The programme is an excellent way to get exposure and a lot of experience which will look very good on your CV when you finish. You get to meet a lot of lovely people and create connections, which definitely is the best part of the programme. However, depending on the department you get put in, it can be quite stressful and you have to juggle exams at the same time. For level 3 you only get one study leave date the day before the exam, studying needs to be done after work, and dependant on the department you are in you can end up finishing later (after 5pm) and might need to commute, so it can be tiring. However, it will be worth it as like I've said previously you get a lot of experience.

Unfortunately, if you are not in London you will struggle to rotate between departments, you are more likely to end up in Audit for most of your programme. This takes out the point of it being called "360" apprenticeship. This should definitely be something that is stated in their website, even though they say you move where there are "business needs", I believe this is not transparent enough. You can also end up being unassigned in the programme as you start, this means you will go to your office but are not actually assigned to any departments, therefore all you have to do is training, and this has happened to quite a few apprentices. It is also possible that even if you are assigned into a department, that you will not be given work as there is no need for an apprentice in the department. Even though this is not the programme's fault, the communication between the apprenticeship resourcing team and the apprentice is very little to none. Due to these reasons, I believe the programme is not very well organised/structured.

Being in audit, you get an in charge in every job and they are lovely to work with. They are aware that you are doing your Level 3 and don't have much technical knowledge, however that will not put them back from giving you responsibility, which is great as it allows you to develop yourself. The apprenticeship team is great as well, you get a Performance Manager who will have calls with you through the year to ensure you are well and if you need anything they are more than happy to help with any sort of situation. As touched previously, the help regarding unassigned apprentices can be very little, and that is the only reason I didn't score this experience a 10.

Our training provider is BPP. For your first exam in Level 3 you received a week and a half of face to face teaching. This is very helpful as it can be really scary to take your first exam. The rest of your exams for Level 3 are online webinar and they are usually for a day. This will change for Level 4 as the exams get harder the longer the tuition will be. You get allocated a BPP Progress Reviewer where you will have calls with them every few months to talk about your qualification progress. Unfortunately the progress reviewer is not the same every time so this takes away the comfortability and the personal touch as you will not have the same person checking on you throughout your growth in the qualification. "The Hub" is where you will have all the information about your exams, this include achievement ladders where they have BPP exams for each section. The Hub also includes recorded lessons for each section of an exam, which is incredibly helpful if you need someone to explain content that you have forgotten about. The teachers from the webinars are very good and they are a joy to hear. Apart from this there isn't much more support from BPP.

If you are in Audit, the qualification will be incredibly helpful as the first exams are to do with double entry bookkeeping and financial statements. However, if you are in the Tax department, these exams might not relate to your role as much, but there is a Indirect Tax exam which you will definitely benefit from working in the tax department. All exams within the qualification, even if they don't relate to the department you are in, I would say they are still very helpful and allow you develop your knowledge.

In general KPMG has loads of networks and clubs to join. Networks such as BREATHE (LGBT Network), KNOW (KPMG Network of Women) , African & Caribbean Network, Muslim Network, Forces in the Firm, etc. You don't have to be a woman to join the KNOW community or a LGBT member to join BREATHE, it's very inclusive! Clubs range from Spanish Club, Scuba Dividing Club, Football, Running (it's a huge thing in the firm!), etc. There is also a lot of charity volunteering opportunities to join where you are based. In each department you also get social activities such as drinks after work on Friday or football tournaments with other companies in the town!

Yes

KPMG is a great opportunity to develop yourself and get to know a lot of people. The best part of KPMG is the people! Everyone that I have met is so kind and open for any opinions, it truly is very inclusive. There is also lots of opportunities to learn, we have a Learning portal with lots of training for basic skills such as Excel and Word, but also advanced training for these.

Be yourself in the interview, teamwork and communication is very important in this company. Don't think because you didn't do any Math or Science related A Levels that you will not be able to join, KPMG is looking for anyone from any kind of background as they want everyone to have different opinions and ideas!