Intern at BDO Review

I enjoyed my placement immensely! I was exposed to a range of people, departments and environments, which made the placement an extremely varied learning experience. I developed as a person and I have learnt many new skills, which will benefit me in my future career. Everyone I meet was friendly and made my placement an overall really enjoyable experience.

I always felt very valued by the company! We received a thorough introduction and a warm welcome from employees. I was made to feel like any other employee by my team and not treated as an “intern”. I was always invited to team events and fellow colleagues would include me in projects they thought I might be interested in.

I was really grateful for the guidance and support I received from my team and line manager. Due to the nature of the work (auditing), some of the work was quiet technical and although my degree is related to this, I still needed some additional support. My team were always willing to help me and answer all of my many questions!

I was busy most days. I would spend a mixture of time in the office and at client sites, so I would spend time preparing for meeting with clients. When working with the clients, I was always super busy, with something to be working on. On quieter days, I would try to do some networking with colleagues.

As time went on, I was given increasingly more responsibility and more demanding projects. I was pleased that my line manager trusted me enough to give me such a high level of responsibility. I enjoyed the responsibility as it meant that I was able to prove my ability to my team and manager.

The placement gave me a far better understanding of how a business operates and a great understanding of auditing and accountancy. This will be beneficial to me in my degree (accountancy) going forward. Furthermore, I developed many transferable skills such as communication and presentation skills.

The general atmosphere within the office at BDO and clients was always very positive. The office was very fast paced, as everyone is managing a heavy work load but everyone was always friendly and there was lots of friendly banter with in the office environment. Everyone got on and employees had formed genuine friendships.

I really could not criticise the organisation of this internship. We had a good induction and the recruitment team was always in contact. Due to the nature of the role, there was a lot of travelling, however, BDO carefully organised all accommodation and travel. I had the opportunity to travel to Birmingham and Leeds, which was a good chance to meet other employees and see a different side to the business.

I felt well invested in. I had regular review sessions with my line manager, where we could discuss my progress and where he provided constructive criticism. My line manager was well invested in my personal development and gave me projects that would test and develop my skills. He also ensured I had exposure to different areas of the business.

The future employment prospects are very appealing. The company invests heavily in its interns, in the expectation they will fulfil graduate positions.

There was a really great social scene amongst fellow employees and interns; I was very pleasantly surprised by how social it was! We had a training event in Birmingham, which was followed by social events. The trip to Leeds also included a night out and social event. I would frequently go for drinks after work with my team and fellow interns.

Cost of living is undoubtedly high in London. Biggest cost was rent and travel.

Good nightlife! Lots of pubs, bars and restaurants nearby!

Lots of opportunities.