Public Sector Audit Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Grant Thornton. The work that they gave me was interesting and there was usually plenty of it. There were a lot of activities put on for the interns including Wacky Wednesday afternoons where and afternoon was set aside each Wednesday to complete fun things such as going to flight club (a darts place), doing a pub quiz, learning about the accountancy qualification and doing an apprentice task. this was on top of other intern events such as going to bounce ping pong where we got to meet all the interns from over the country and the same for our induction day. The only sad thing was that you made a lot of friends that you would then not see again unfortunately. The firm has been very accommodating for their interns and there is the opportunity to explore other service lines if you so desire which everyone is very supporting of. Overall I would say that the company made a great effort for the interns which has contributed to me having a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

I felt very valued by my colleagues. They gave me work that was actually going to be used in final reports which meant that I didn't feel like a spare part and that I was actually helping to contribute towards an end product. An effort was always made to make sure that we were happy with our work and an avoidance of giving us menial admin tasks that could be done by anyone. It was very clear that our purpose was to learn more about accountancy and the firm which gave more of a sense of purpose.

The first thing we were told is you can't ask too many questions. They were always willing to help and commended any work that you did complete. This meant when you did get stuck on a piece of work they would carefully go through it with you until you understood it. And although this could sometimes take a lot of their time they were always happy to help. This not only made me feel more at ease but helped with the learning process as it meant I could do tasks quicker and always fully understood what I was actually doing and what part it has to play.

I was generally busy and had work to do everyday. Although sometimes I would only receive one piece of work to do which would not last the whole day. This was partly to do with the fact that clients were slow to get back with information needed to complete a piece of work and you had nothing else to get on with in the mean while. A few days I was sent home early but only half an hour earlier than I normally would work. Part of the difficulty was a lack of knowledge so big tasks could not be performed and some of the Audits were coming to an end so there would not be a lot of work for anyone to complete on those clients.

I feel like I was given average responsibility. I did do tasks were my final completed work would be used but nothing that was of great importance. Especially since my work was always checked over again I did not feel any great pressure or responsibility. This I feel was partly due to the short nature of the internship and that skills were not developed enough to be able to be given more influential pieces.

I had already completed my degree and graduated but was moving onto a Masters in Financial Economics afterwards. The company did talk a lot about topical news which I feel will fit in with my masters and finance is often swayed by such events. Brexit was a big talking point and discussed at length with how it is affecting the company and its predictions for the future. I felt that this bigger picture look will help more with my studies than that if the individual task skills that I learnt.

I worked at a few offices and client sites and the atmosphere varied from place to place generally determined by the nature of the most senior person in the room. Everyone was always friendly however and there was an opportunity to chat and pass the day by a bit faster. It could be a bit distracting at times however when everyone was very chatty and you had to be mindfully of still completing your work in a timely manner.

I felt as if the internship was organised particularly well. From the first day we had induction for three days so as to learn about what it was we were doing and pick up a few pacts and skills so as to not to be thrown into work we didn't understand. It also gave us an opportunity to meet everyone and do ice breakers so it felt more comfortable when we moved in with our team. We were given a schedule for the rest of our six weeks with what we would be doing everyday, but this also provided flexibility to change if we so chose which was nice. (I am able to go on the company sports day next Friday now in Hyde park) we were shown how to use all the company systems and programs in the first three days which meant that no time was wasted trying to figure things out when we started working. We were also given Wednesdays to meet back up with all the other interns which was lovely as we would all be out on client sites for the other days of the week. our placements for clients was also worked out to be as close to our place of living as possible so as to limit our travel which was a thoughtful feature. Overall they made a great effort to made sure we always knew what we were doing but provide change and different days so as to keep our time here interesting. |I felt that they got the balance perfectly right.

I feel that the company made a great effort to develop our skills and invest in us. we were sent away on a two day training course for presentation skills at a country retreat to help prepare for our final presentation. There is a great sense within the company for them wanting you to do well, and this was to help with our final presentations we have to give in our last week. I felt that I gained a lot of general skills from my internship but maybe not so many specific accountancy ones. Overall I do feel as if there was a lot of effort to help us and that I improved in quite a few areas especially confidence.

The company told us that they have jobs for everyone and that it is only if you muck up that you shall not receive a job offer. This is reflected in the fact they said they hire 70 - 80% of their interns. Everyone has been very supportive throughout and the general impression has been that we already have the job offer and it is talked about as if we have already been given it and it's ours to loose. There is a great opportunity within the firm for job progression and to switch service lines. The company it's self is also a great company to work for and really looks after its staff and is reflected in the positive things they have to say about it.

The social scene was great among the interns. Being in London we had a wealth of places to go and things to do. The interns frequently did things together after work which was really fun. The team became really close and has a whatssap group that we all talk on outside of work too.

being in London living was quite expensive. It cost £14 to get into work each day from where I lived even with a rail card. However the company does pay for your travel for if you go anywhere further than your office than you are based in. Depending on your team you might go out for lunch everyday or all bring in a packed lunch. |The prices aren't too bad if you go to Tesco's etc and aren't silly about where you go.

Due to the long hours of work and how dispersed everyone's living arrangements in London were we actually didn't go on a night out in London. However it is London, so if you do want to go out then there is plenty of choice but be prepared for an expensive night out. There are some cheap bars near the Euston office however where you can get a reasonable prices drink after work as we frequently did.

Most of the things outside of work were intern organised. However there was a lot of opportunities to do things inside of work time that were not work related such as: Company sports day, One nationwide intern event night, team days and so forth. This meant that there was actually a lot of opportunity it was just incorporated into your working day. this came with the benefit of breaking up the working weeks.