Apprentice Review

My daily work will include completing workpapers, agreeing client figures to external confirmations or invoices etc. I also complete controls walkthroughs with clients to understand their processes for our audit procedures. For internal communication, I will co-ordinate with team members to allocate work tasks between us to achieve our work deadlines.

I have massively developed my verbal and written communication skills. I have learned how to write efficient yet effective emails for back and forth communication with clients and internal discussions. I have also presented in meetings which gave me experience to plan and deliver a presentation confidently and receive feedback on this.

I enjoy the day to day work that I complete, however doing an apprenticeship means you have exams to complete alongside work. This can be draining and stressful at times, especially when work is busy. However doing an apprenticeship means the work you do alongside the exams help you develop your corporate skills, so its a balancing act.

The programme isn't very well organised, when I was moving around different teams, your preferences aren't taken into account, it's just where they need resourcing so I didn't get the experience I thought I had signed up for. However once you find a home team the programme is then fairly well structured.

I get a lot of support from my work team and they are always there to help on anything I need. They are happy to talk through the work I need to complete and care about my progression. They are also helpful with any personal needs I have which is also very supportive. In terms of exams, you don't get support from the internal exams team as they don't tailor to different needs which causes issues and their organisation and communication needs to improve which adds stress to the exams element of the job.

The training provider provide support but their level of support is governed by what the company ask them to provide so this limits the help they can give you. If you reach out and ask for help they will, but you have to ask for it, it won't be a given.

I think my qualification helps me to understand some elements of my role as I can see where things are wrong and what they should be and I can link my exams to my work. However the qualification is broad which means not everything comes up in your work so you don't get that benefit.

The number of socials will vary depending on which team and office location you are in. My team don't have many socials but there are sometimes office socials that you can attend. There are plenty of networks that you can join and meet others and there are also sports teams to get involved in.

No

It would depend on what the person it looking for, the work and exams together are extremely stressful and the work itself is pressurised. If you want a work life balance it wouldn't be the company to go for but if you want progression and to learn new skills in an inclusive company I would recommend them.

Make sure accounting is something you want to study and work towards and be aware it is an intense company to work for. Ensure you are yourself on the applications and do your research into the company's values and initiatives so see if its the right company for your own beliefs.