Audit Assistant Review

My daily role comprises of performing audit testing and procedures over client's financial statements. I regularly liaise with clients in order to perform required audit procedures, ensuring that I adhere to company policy and regulatory requirements. Audit testing involves both assessing and concluding on the design and implementation and operating effectiveness of controls in place at the client, and substantively testing account balances in order to ensure that they are fairly disclosed within the financial statements. This is mainly accomplished by making enquiries of management and obtaining evidence for their explanations.The work I perform helps to form our final audit opinion, wherein we declare whether we believe the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with relevant accounting standards and that we have reasonable assurance that they are free from material error.

The main skills I have developed since starting my apprenticeship centre around communication, teamwork, and conducting myself in a professional manner. As my daily role involves communicating with colleagues and senior clients and working with them to achieve a common goal, I have developed these skills the most. KPMG offers various internal training courses to develop a full professional skillset and become an effective team member. I have also learned many technical and financial accounting skills from studying my professional qualification with BPP.

For the most part, I enjoy my daily role. The teams that you work with are always accomodating and KPMG offers support in various different ways. However, as an auditor, the hours can sometimes be long and the role involves a lot of travel, which can be taxing during busy season. The good outweighs the bad in the majority of cases, and there's always someone there to talk to if need be. The move to working from home has alleviated a lot of these downsides and I'm excited to see how KPMG adapts to a post-covid world with the introduction of hybrid working.

The programme is structured and organised very well! From induction right through to the organisation of study, tracking of off-the-job hours, and any other requirements, the apprenticeship team always keeps you informed. I have never had an issue that arose from lack of organisation. The team hierarchy is very well set out, so you always know who in particular to go through with a particular concern or query and they are usually resolved fairly quickly.

KPMG are extremely supportive of the individual and I have experienced this myself many times. Balancing work and study requirements can be difficult at times, but you have a dedicated performance manager to speak to with any issues you have. They are extremely accomodating and always try their best to flex things to suit you better. Teams that you work with on a daily basis are also very understanding of the fact that you are an apprentice when you first join. No question is a stupid question; everybody wants to contribute towards your development and they often actively encourage it!

BPP are a very supportive training provider when it comes to preparing for studying and exams! Classroom sessions are hosted by tutors who answer any and all questions that you have relating to the learning. They make it known that they are available to contact outside of the classroom for any other support you may need. They also host additional study support sessions and provide you with in-depth, exam-focussed learning materials. The quality of BPP's content delivery is amazing, with the only issue being that they're sometimes difficult to get ahold of with non-learning content related issues.

My qualification is extremely relevant to my role in audit. I find that the exact things that I study as part of the AAT course appear in my role daily, as I work with financial statements and their preparation almost constantly. I always have opportunities to put the theory I have learned into practice because of this, which I find extremely rewarding! It also motivates you to perform better and take on more information in the classroom, as you know you'll be using the knowledge again very soon in future. Without studying the qualification alongside work, I doubt I'd be nearly as confident in my role as I am now!

There are always events and activities being hosted at KPMG. Pre-covid, there were many in-person department socials, outings, and events. I myself have travelled to the Cotswolds, London, Manchester, and many more places for extra-curricular work events and socials. There are many different societies that you can join in KPMG if you wish to learn more about other cultures or meet people with similar interests. 6 days a year are offered by KPMG to use for volunteer work, which I take advantage of often as it's a rewarding experience. As part of your benefits package, you're also offered perks such as discounted gym memberships, vouchers for days out, and much more.

Yes

I would always recommend KPMG to a friend as I believe it's a much better alternative to university. You get paid a very competitive salary, earn whilst you work, meet plenty of great people, and come out of it debt-free with a professionally-recognised qualification. I have much more practical experience than university graduates of the same age as me as I've had such a headstart on them. I am extremely happy with my choice to go to KPMG as an alternative to university, so I would recommend it to anyone!

Take the time to go through the requirements of the application properly. Plan everything carefully and make sure you pay attention to detail. If you are successful in the initial application process and make it through to the assessment centre, make sure you are proactive in arranging things! You are often assessed in groups, so make sure to stand out from the rest. I think it's most important to showcase your abilities, but be yourself at the same time. KPMG want energetic individuals with a positive attitude towards learning and work and often use the slogan "Bring your whole self to work".