Audit Apprentice Review

I have a client facing role in which I work alongside my team to plan and complete the year end audit of the client. This involves gaining an in depth understanding of the client and the industry it operates within and designing an audit approach appropriate to test all elements of the entity's financial statements. I have daily interactions with the client through walkthroughs of the processes which are being tested and for data requests. I am responsible for a small proportion of the processes which are being tested and therefore manage any data requests, testing and documentation of these areas.

Through this apprenticeship I am completing a Level 4 and subsequently a Level 7 qualification in accounting and so my professional knowledge has majorly developed through beginning these qualifications. I have also gained relevant industry knowledge through my day to day role. Internal training courses provided by my employer have been particularly useful in developing my audit knowledge and have highlighted the importance of audit quality in order to improve my work further.

I do enjoy my programme and I believe this is particularly important as I feel you should always enjoy what you spend a lot of time doing. The best part of the programme has got to be the people- your immediate team as well as the cohort of other apprentices. There are a vast amount of people from many different backgrounds and it is lovely to be able to work with such good people every day. Company culture is also great and very supportive for any issues you may have as this spreads to manager level and above.

The programme is very well organised as they always keep you informed of when things are coming up- for example exams and other deadlines. The induction process was particularly helpful as it eased us in slowly and really took time to introduce us to everything we needed to know. A clear training plan has been outlined to us from the start so we can plan our time around studying and exams and there is a dedicated learning team always ready to take any questions. We are also assigned a performance manager who organises regular check ins to make sure we are meeting all expectations with work commitments as well as exams and this is particularly helpful as they help you feel very supported.

The work environment in general is very supportive and this is one of the best things about the programme. My manager is always checking in with me to see how I am doing and making sure that I know exactly what to do when assigned tasks and is happy to answer any questions. We are assigned a performance manager also who tracks our progress in our studies as well as work commitments, with regular meetings allowing time to discuss any issues we are having. In summary, the managers mostly have been in our position previously- having to manager studies alongside full time work and know this can be stressful at times, and so are always there to give guidance and support.

The training provider we have been allocated have been excellent so far. The tutors have all been qualified professionals with exceptional knowledge of the topic areas. They also make it clear when we can contact them with questions for example through emails or the real time forum sessions. They provide us with course books, materials, practice exams and questions which have been so helpful. The support provided is great and the quality of teaching is also and there is a general culture of wanting us to achieve and do well.

So far in my studies I have been looking at basic accounting as this is something I had never looked at before. These are the foundations to understanding how financial statements are produced and so without this knowledge it would be very difficult to complete my day to day role as I would lack the understanding of how the business' accounts filter down into the financial statements. Ultimately, you need to know these key theories in order to recognise what you are looking at in a data set, and so these professional qualifications have been put into practice and make performing my role a lot easier.

There are many activities you can take part in at work that have been made avaliable to me. There are social sessions, book clubs, coffee conversations and sports clubs which you can get involved in. My employer also allows a set amount of days you can dedicate to any volunteering opportunities which is something I really suggest taking advantage of. There is always something going on whether that be with inspirational guest speakers, Christmas parties, gym sessions and so there is always something avaliable so you can get to know your coworkers better.

Yes

I personally didn't choose to go to university as in the accounting field there are so many degree apprenticeships coming out onto the market which offer a degree level qualification. This route was definitely for me and I am glad I have chosen this. I thoroughly enjoy what I do and am looking forward to passing all my exams and gaining an industry recognised qualification. I personally feel the apprenticeship scheme at KPMG is an amazing opportunity for personal development through qualifications as well as getting industry experience at a firm that has a great culture, a lot to offer and is really supportive.

Some advice I would give would be to stay on top of your application- so regularly check your emails and make sure you have quick responses to ensure you don't miss out. Be confident- this can definitely be hard at times however put yourself outside of your comfort zone. For example when at the assessment day talk to people! It is easy to sit in silence with a bunch of people you don't know and so show you are not afraid to speak up and put yourself out there.