First Year Insight Programme Review

The insight day was extremely valuable to me, as it gave me a real indepth insight into the different sectors within the professional services firm. They organised a number of guest speakers from each department who were able to explain what their job entailed and their typical day's work.

KPMG made me feel very special and valued during the 2 day insight- we were treated extremely well and were provided with breakfast, lunch and refreshments. Employees took time to speak to us and were really helpful in answering my questions.

There were a number of skills sessions which helped us develop things like our public speaking and presenting skills.

After the 2 day insight I feel a lot more confident speaking to people in a business environment who I didn't previously know, as I feel that my networking skills have developed tremendously.

The day was very well structured- we ran through the programme for the day at the beginning of each day which gave us an idea of what we were to expect during the course of the programme. Although the first day was a little long (9am-7pm), this time flew by and was really enjoyable.

Everybody was very friendly and welcoming and I felt that the staff really wanted us to make the most of the day and gain a lot from the experience. A personal high was when the employees that organised the event spent their lunch money allowance on sweets for all of us, which was extremely thoughtful. Couldn't have been a better experience!

The firm put on a number of personal development sessions, with hints and tips on how to improve our personal public speaking and networking skills. However, we did not receive much personal feedback when it came to putting this into practice e.g. after we made a presentation, and this would have been more helpful. Additionally, I would have valued feedback on how we performed in the application process i.e. in the telephone interview and at the assessment centre.

It was very helpful in helping me to understand what it would be like to have a role at KPMG. Due to the fact that they had organised talks from a number of different employees from various departments, we could see what their 'typical day' consisted of. In addition to this, the speakers ranged from a number of levels, from graduates to partners, so it was also helpful to see how your job role and 'typical day' would change as you worked you way into more senior positions.

From the moment I entered the building, I felt relaxed as there was a very calm and friendly atmosphere. Everybody seemed cheery and friendly, which also reflected the fact that employees seem to enjoy working at KPMG. From listening to employees' talks and speaking to people during the networking session, the company treats its employees very well, and are very understanding and adaptable everybody's preferences and personal situations.

Listening to speakers who were from a range of different departments consolidated my opinion of what career path I want to follow. It was also helpful to gain an insight into the workings of the other departments, even though I don't have any interest in going into those areas. We also found out about the more technical aspects of the job, i.e. what training and qualifications are required.

The firm reimbursed us on our travel expenses up to £100 over the 2 days, and required us to fill in an expenses form on the day and attach our receipts. They also reimbursed us on our travel expenses to get to the assessment center, which was another bonus. However, many of us (including myself) had to travel considerably far distances, and in order to make it to the office for 9am each day required us to stay in a hotel as we were not able to travel up to Manchester every morning. This was not reimbursed, which I felt was a little unfair.

On the first day we spent the last session of the day (5pm-7pm) networking with employees from various departments. This was a really good opportunity to ask any personalised questions we had as well as get an insight into what their opinions were about what it is like to work for KPMG. Refreshments were also provided which was another bonus.

There were endless opportunities for networking. We were able to speak to the guest speakers, as well as with a number of employees at the networking session in the evening, where we could ask more personal questions. Additionally, we were constantly networking with our peers: during breakfast, break and lunchtimes we were able to get to know one another and find out about each other's lives and career goals.

Yes, we were told about the range of societies and clubs that employees can join- I spoke to somebody who played on the firms' rugby team. The fact that the company offers all its staff 6 days of volunteering per year is another perk of working for KPMG- everybody who I spoke to who had taken advantage of this expressed how much of a fantastic experience this was.

Definitely. The firm made sure that the two days were really worthwhile and packed full of useful activities. We were given a really in depth insight into the workings of the business along with the other functions. There was an emphasis on the graduate schemes that the firm offered to university students who had graduated, and how we could go about getting places on these, and what they consisted of. I could not recommend the insight day more.