Audit Trainee Review

Working on an an assigned audited entity with a team made up of different levels of employee. This involves team discussions and catchups, meetings with the entity, recording budgets and staying on top of deadlines. After work I spend a few hours studying.

Excel skills (BDO offers excel training courses), accounting basics (exams, certificate level), organisation, time management, public speaking.

As a graduate from a non-accounting background the work was more difficult as it took longer for me to adapt to the nature of the work. There are supportive managers and peers who are able to guide and coach you through the training which is helpful.

There are trainee meetings organised by BDO, ICAEW or BPP to guide training. There is little structure as a new-joiner but this allows you to explore your role having been 'thrown it at the deep end'.

BDO provides study leave and mental health services, and are accommodating when you need to work from home or take sick leave.

Our training provider can be difficult to communicate with, there is little live interaction with tutors for most courses and I have on occasion not received my exam materials. The online recorded training and practice tests are however very useful.

Learning the basics and running through general business works has allowed me to understand why certain approaches need to be taken, or the significance of certain balances/amounts.

There are networking events and sports teams, however alongside work and study there is little time for taking on new hobbies!

Yes

BDO has been an efficient and reliable employer. The teams I have worked with are professional and from different backgrounds which clearly adds value to every team I have worked within.

Believe in your transferrable skills and revise for those exams. BDO is generous with the responsibility it allocates to you - it is your responsibility to make time to manage yourself.