Summer Intern Review

The internship at BDO was really enjoyable and I thoroughly enjoyed my time. I was able to gain lots of knowledge in the accountancy profession, developing my understanding of audit, and be exposed to many clients. Everyone I worked with was extremely friendly and helpful, and always willing to answer any questions.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues; I was included in the team from the start of the internship and made to feel very welcomed. The work I completed was recognised by others across the firm, where I received comments for my hard work and the effort I put in.

The support I received from managers and colleagues in the office very good. Everyone was willing to help with any issues I had and proved me with additional information and guidance. I had weekly catch-up meeting with my manager to monitor my performance and discuss any issues I had.

There was a high workload at the start of my internship, however, towards the end this rapidly declined and I was struggling for work. I was made aware at the start that this is a 'quiet period' for my office. However, I was made aware that each office experiences quiet periods’ at different times of the year.

Interns were given the same responsibility as first-year graduates.

The skills I developed in training week helped me to use the system correctly throughout the internship. I was able to pick up additional excel skills throughout the six weeks which I will be able to use in the future. I was also able to perfect my time management and organisational skills.

The atmosphere in the office was very relaxed. The seating arrangements allowed you to sit next to different people each day, enabling you to meet everyone there. Everyone in the office was very friendly and were willing to help with and questions or queries you had. Some people had earphones in to help them concentrate.

I thought the internship was very organised. The training week at the start had a set plan as to what we would learn each day. At the sat I set goals as to what I wanted to achieve and each week I had catch-up sessions with my manager to see how I was developing.

I believe the firm invested in our personal development a lot. The training week at the start allowed to gain an understanding of the systems and the processes we would be using over the internship. Additionally, the weekly catch up with our counselling managers allowed us to identify any issue we had and improve them.

Future employment looks very appealing. Being given the same responsibilities as first-year graduated enable us to experience the work we would be carrying out if we wanted to join as a graduate. Being an intern you were treated like anyone else in the company and made to feel very welcomed.

The social scene was really good, throughout training week there were many socials which enabled us to mix with the other interns. When we got to the office there was weekly social. There was also a football tournament held, this was in the middle of the internship, and was a great excuse to go and see the other interns in other offices.

The cost of living in the area was really cheap. We walked to a local supermarket every day for lunch which was really cheap, or brought in lunch from home. Rent in the area was averaged price and houses could be found within walking distance to the office. The was no need to pay for parking as the parking by the office was free.

The nightlife by the office was really close and cheap. We often went for drinks on a Friday after work to a pub within walking distance. Additionally, the main nightlife was only a short bus ride to the city centre where we occasionally went on weekends. The prices were cheap and were not as expensive as other offices.

There was the opportunity to get involved in CSR projects throughout the six weeks, this involved going out into the community and volunteering. There was also the opportunity to take part in a football tournament at one of the other offices and to play again other offices throughout the country.