Intern - Financial Services Audit Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Grant Thornton. The internship provided me with the opportunity to develop a range of technical and soft skills that will serve me well in the future. The firm operates within the dynamic professional industry and with a distinct culture that is exemplified by its high calibre professional employees. This undoubtedly contributed to my personal level of satisfaction and I would have happily stayed on for more time if it were available.

The firm adopts a set of values that define their professional and personal working practices, namely the CLEARR values. Collaboration, Leadership, Excellence, Agility, Respect and Responsibility are six terms that I have observed in abundance during my time here. I was initially hesitant to ask questions; however, once I noticed that these qualities resonated in all employees (this only took a day or two), I felt at ease asking questions and truly believed that I was a valued member of the team. In addition to their professionalism in a working capacity, I was frequently invited for drinks and meals over the course of the six weeks. This enabled me to mix with different people and learn about their ambitions and career paths. I was able to establish common ground with many of the senior members of staff which was extremely helpful, serving as useful ice breakers whenever it came to asking questions and for feedback.

My supervisor and I were working on different away jobs in the first week of the internship; however, he sent me several emails during this time to welcome me in the best way possible. We met up the first day of the second week and set out my goals for the internship. Over the course of the six weeks, he caught up with me on a regular basis to gauge my feedback, conducted a thorough interim meeting to assess my goal development, and took me out for dinner and drinks. He deserves praise for the way he welcomed me into the firm so easily. In addition to my people manager, the recruitment team were excellent. I really valued the way in which they refused to fail applicants solely for below average video interview performances and test scores. It is a credit to the firm and the management that they take the time to meet these applicants and assess them face to face. I genuinely believe that more firms should take the time to meet candidates as this is the most sustainable way to develop a rapport with your employees from the outset.

I was often fairly busy; however, at times there were sometimes few tasks to complete. The firm very much operates in a way that encourages interns to proactively search for tasks as opposed to being spoon-fed. I believe that this is a compliment to the firm as it prepares interns for professional life and encourages them to meet and network with different members of staff. Asking for tasks is acknowledged by the employees and a big part of the assessment overall. I therefore strongly recommend to future applicants that they attempt to immerse themselves in the experience as much as possible and keep asking for work.

I was given a fair amount of responsibility during my time at Grant Thornton. In my first week I was assigned to a job in the City, which enabled me to gain first hand experience observing the interaction between employees and clients. In addition to this, I was often asked to interact with clients and collect information to assist in the completion of the audit. This provided me with the sense of responsibility that I was searching for and continued throughout the remainder of the internship process. In addition to my day-to-day activities, I was also responsible for developing a final presentation (for Managers, Directors etc.) and raising money for the Lendwithcare charity initiative. Grant Thornton provided us with the task of raising funds to send to less privileged entrepreneurs in developing regions of the world. Over the course of the 6 weeks, I took responsibility for holding a cake sale with fellow employees and hosting a barbecue for my friends outside University. This assisted in improving my time management skills and acted as a steep learning curve in my professional development.

The technical skills I learned here included a bit more about what professional services do on a day-to-day basis, some of the challenges facing the industry and, more specifically, an understanding as to what audit is. Soft skills included developing client relationships, presentation skills at Bradenham Manor training course and, most noticeably, time management. I would like to highlight Bradenham Manor as an excellent opportunity for people to develop their self-awareness skills. The time management skill in particular will serve me well in the future as it enabled me to make the most of my time professionally, socially and personally. As a University student, days often merge into one; however, this internship taught me the values of making the most of my time and being organised in my activities. I believe that this will put me in good stead over the upcoming year as I complete my studies and embark on my professional working career.

The employees adopt a very friendly casual attitude in the office which made me feel welcome from the start. Interns are provided with seats alongside Associates and Executives, which immediately made me feel like a member of the team. The working space is fairly quiet (not uncomfortably) but does not discourage you from asking questions, learning from others and making the most of the experience.

The internship is well organised. The people manager was excellent and the buddy system well-established. The firm organised several pre-joiner events, including a Ping-Pong night, a pub quiz and a presentation workshop in Bradenham Manor. Each of these enabled me to network with other interns and learn more about their ambitions. I was able to take away a lot from this, which assisted me in developing my own goals and incentives for completing the internship.

The firm undoubtedly invest heavily in interns, given the high proportion that return for graduate jobs. The social nights are well organised and the training at Bradenham Manor is well thought out. They very much push you to visit clients and gain first hand experience learning about what the job actually entails. This is further emphasised by the way the employees take their time to make you feel welcome and assist you with any concerns, no matter how big or small.

I would very much like to come back following the completion of my degree. The model adopted by the firm very much rewards employees as they progress through the ACA qualification and recognises your own ambitions. The hierarchy is very clear, but works in such a way that encourages the interaction of employees ranging from junior Associate to Partner. The company has a Vision 2020 that sets out its long term ambition to be a leading professional services firm, something that I believe is sustainable and worth being a part of.

The social scene was excellent. The recruitment team organised several social events for interns, including a ping pong night, pub quiz and training day in Bradenham. Additionally, members of the audit team invited me to end-of-month drinks and meals and drinks after work most weeks. I was also invited to a client in Nottingham where I was treated to a nice meal and able to socialise with colleagues.

London is a very expensive city to live in. It is quite tricky for me to address this question due to the fact that I live at home; however, I learned that a majority of employees live a far way out. Nevertheless, the experience is invaluable and, in my opinion, worth more than the money. I would not recommend eating out too often as you often spend £10-£15 (just for a main) and would suggest trying to find someone else to live with instead of spending a fortune on rent.

I am not particularly into nightlife, however, London contains an abundant set of activities that cater for all. Instead of going out for drinks, I prefer to go out with friends for meals and watch sporting events. I was able to do this throughout the internship as the working hours are very reasonable. I would highly recommend London for its social scene, given its position as a diverse and vibrant city.

There were plenty of opportunities to get involved outside of work. We were invited to meals and drinks on a regular basis and encouraged to leave at the end of the day to make the most of our free time. I was able to see my university friends and family on a regular basis which really made me enjoy the experience even further. The firm rewards in such a way that you are able to get the most of your work experience, whilst still enjoying your time outside of work.