Audit intern (Financial Services) Review

I enjoyed the office culture, and the people I have worked with have been friendly and happy to help. The part I didn't enjoy was the actual tasks I was given - I wasn't assigned any audit work during my internship apart from a few cross checking of accounts in the first week!

I felt that as a person I was valued and my contributions where respected.

I was assigned a performance manager who did check up on me via email in the first few weeks, however he was based in a different office to me so I never actually had the chance to meet him and catch up.

The internship was disappointing because when I was in the office I wasn't given anything to do. In fact, I'm currently in my last week and it's 3pm and I'm sitting at my desk having been given nothing to do all day - despite asking three times! It has begun to be an awkward dilemma between not knowing whether to carry on practically begging people to give me work or to sit and read the news over and over again. I know others in a different area of audit (Middle markets audit) have been a lot busier than me though.

I wasn't given much responsibility, however: I proof read some client deliverable documents and the managers took on board my suggestions, I cross checked accounts, I dealt with queries in securitisation.

Skills I have developed: teamwork, excel, proofreading. I was given the opportunity to volunteer for a day helping people who have been out of work with their cv's, which was a really good and humbling experience.

People definitely work hard, but there isn't the corporate, impersonal atmosphere that I had expected. Everyone is friendly, sociable and I like how there's no 'hierarchy' - you can find yourself sitting next to anybody, from a director to another intern.

It is so disappointing that it was poorly organised. I arrived into the internship really excited, and for the first few days I felt there were things to do. I spent my first few days doing admin bits for people in the office, such as research of businesses and adding to presentations. My second week, I was with an audit team in Skipton. On my first day I had a lot to get on with but the team were coming to the end of a project and told me the work they were doing was too hard for me to complete, so I didn't do much after that. Since then I have been on Securitisation, which is a part of Financial Services but not a part of Audit specifically. The work done in securitisation is really boring and monotonous so usually audit grads have to do it - which I completely understand. Upon starting I was told I'd have to do a week of securitisation but instead I have been basically doing an internship in securitisation. It's not only that the work isn't related to audit but also I feel that the reason I have been put onto these jobs is because nobody has organised any audit work for me to do which is frustrating. In between securitisation jobs I have been in the office; which has involved sitting around, asking for work only to be told the inevitable: that I will be going back to securitisation. There are so many audit teams within KPMG and I think that surely there must be something for me to do, as I am here in order to experience audit.

N/A

I was given a partner interview in Audit but haven't been told if I have a place yet. I can't say if future employment prospects are 'appealing' as I haven't actually had any experience in the department I'm interning in!

Yes - Bowling was arranged for interns, we arranged to go for drinks amongst ourselves, when working on client sites everyone goes for dinner together, etc.

I have been working in Leeds - costs are relatively low and you are fully reimbursed for travelling/lunch/dinner when you have to go to client sites. Reimbursements are quick so you aren't out of pocket for long. You get a £3.20 allowance in the canteen everyday when you are in office, which is good (evens out at around £700 per year). Canteen isn't really cheap, but obviously the £3.20 allowance means you can eat really cheaply.

Leeds has lots of really cool bars which play good music and make good cocktails. There's also loads of good restaurants. I have yet to try out any of the night clubs outside of Call Lane!

I was invited to York Races by the Skipton team in my first week, we also received emails about other events in the office such as Yoga. Also there were 'office drinks' a few times. Aside from social activities was the corporate responsibility event - if you work at KPMG full time you get 6 days a year to volunteer which is good.