Corporate Finance Associate Review

I am nearly 3 months into my industrial placement and to date it has been really interesting. I have worked on a variety of transactions ranging from Acquisitions to IPO's and worked within a variety of sectors. The most enjoyable aspect of the job is actually knowing that the work we do has an impact on organisations and that we can actual see the results of our work.

As with any role, to feel valued by your colleagues you must be able to convey to them that you have the required skills for the job and can quickly adapt to changing situations. As I became more experienced, I felt like a real member of the team being assigned various analysis to perform and even having the opportunity to meet a client.

My team at Grant Thornton were highly supportive from my first day at the firm and I have been guided when required. Additionally, the training at the firm is amazing and along with the graduate intake, I actually underwent 3 weeks of intensive training relating to my role and various other areas within the advisory arm of Grant Thornton.

With Corporate Finance, there is no typical day due to the transactional nature of the job and this feeds directly into how busy you are. On some days, I was extremely busy coming in at 9am and leaving at 10pm, whereas on more quiet days I was leaving the office at 5:30pm.

In some aspects, I was given a lot of responsibility as I had the task of performing the bulk of the financial analysis, however I sometimes felt that my colleagues felt an "intern vibe" and consequently didn't provide me with the responsibility of some other areas of the role. However, I am only 3 months in and expect to be given more responsibility as I become more experienced.

To date, I have developed various skills all of which will not only benefit me in my dissertation and studies but in any career path I decide to pursue. As previously mentioned, the training at the firm is amazing and you feel prepared when you are assigned to your first project. Additionally, the firm has various "lunch-n-learn" sessions, where you have the opportunity to gain an insight into other areas of the firm.

I personally felt that the placement has been well organised with the majority of events and training sessions running smoothly, but I felt that some training sessions could have been timed better. For instance, having an "introduction to the firm" training session would have been useful upon my arrival to the firm as opposed to having it a few months later, when the majority of people would have absored the culture and values of the firm.

I feel that during my placement year, Grant Thornton, have tried their best to ensure that I develop both professionally and grow as a person. They have done this through channels such as having regular catch-ups with line managers, training sessions and rewarding us for excellence through the provision of CLEARR points. Additionally, people at the firm go out of their way to help you achieve your goals.

The prospects look amazing at the firm, especially since the firm have now opened a new graduate programme, a 3-year advisory rotational programme. Additionally, since the firm became a Shared Enterprise, there is now an even bigger reason to work at the firm, as management consider our ideas on how we can drive the business, really invigorating!

It's London. It's awesome! Very expensive though.