Spring Insight Programme 2016 Review

I found the insight programme a fantastic opportunity to gain practical insight into KPMG and the services that they provide. I particularly enjoyed the networking opportunity with current KPMG employees as I was able to hear personal stories of people's experiences at KPMG.

KPMG were incredibly welcoming and friendly during the programme. I found they were always more than willing to answer any questions I had.

During the insight programme KPMG enabled me to develop my personal strengths by providing presentations on how to make the best impact when doing presentations, as well as how to negotiate with clients and build relationships with them. Through the group exercises I was able to develop my team working skills and my communication skills.

The skills I developed on the programme such as how to make the best impact in presentations and how to develop my personal brand as well as how to negotiate with clients, will definitely be very useful both at university and when working. Similarly, being able to practice group exercises will also be very useful in the future.

Despite knowing very little information with regards to the itinerary for the programme before I arrived, once we had arrived we were told a very clear structure of what we were going to do and when, including what service lines we were going to hear from and the group exercises.

I found the employees at KPMG extremely welcoming and friendly and very willing to offer guidance and answer all questions I had. Despite there being an assessed element during the programme, I found it very stress-free and enjoyable.

KPMG enabled me to develop my team working skills, communication skills and time-management skills during the group exercises. I also learnt about how to make the best impact networking, how to make the best impact in presentations and how to negotiate with clients which I has enabled me to develop my strengths and I think will be very useful in the future.

Having talks from each department, including tax, financial advisory, pensions, technology, audit, enabled me to gain a very practical insight on what a full time role within those service lines would be like day-to-day. For example, in audit we learnt about the client visits that it involves as well as what kind of clients we would be dealing with. Every talk involved personal experiences which really enabled me to learn and understand the different roles.

At the insight programme, the inclusive culture at KPMG created by its friendly and welcoming people really stood out to me. For example, when I was networking not only was everyone so friendly to offer guidance and answer my questions but also one KPMG employee was saying that when you start as an E grade on the graduate scheme there is so much support towards your personal development, highlighted by the fact that you get a senior mentor when you arrive. This really shows to me what an inclusive culture KPMG has.

As a result of attending the programme it confirmed my interest in working at KPMG and confirmed my preference to work in the tax department.

I was not paid nor reimbursed, however KPMG did offer to reimburse by travel expenses for up to £50 a day.

At the end of the first day we had the opportunity to network with KPMG employees from a diverse range of service lines. I found that this was a fantcastic opportunity to learn more about what life was like at KPMG day to day and also to learn about what societies and charity work KPMG offer.

A fantastic opportunity to learn about what life is like working at KPMG by hearing people's personal experiences, as well as a fantastic opportunity to hear about the social aspect at KPMG such as the sports teams.

I learnt about the social side of working at KPMG such as the sports teams that KPMG has. I also learnt that every year KPMG employees get 6 days of charity work, which I found particularly attractive.

I would definitely recommend the programme to a friend, even if they do not know what they really want to do as it is such a fantastic opportunity to learn about the firm.