Financial Services Audit Intern Review

The team were really helpful and provided me with a wide variety of work to do. They ensured that I always had work to be getting on with and I was able to continually learn about different areas. I was involved in End of Month drinks events as well as team lunches in order to also enjoy my time away from work.

I was trusted to perform various areas of the audit and my team when away at client sites took a real interest in how I was getting on with the work that I was set. I felt like I made an impact on the team and there were always opportunities to maximise my contribution to it.

Any question that I had was fully answered by my supervisor at the time and I was hugely encouraged to ask questions. Working with a wide variety of people in the office, everyone was very understanding of my position as an intern and more than willing to explain things I was struggling with in a clear and concise manner.

I was out on client sites for 4 weeks of my 6 week internship, where I was busy most days and there were lots of opportunities to get involved with work. It did get a bit slow and boring towards the end of the internship in the last 2 weeks where work was sparse in the audit quiet season (July) but I occupied my time by learning basic accounting online.

As an intern, I was completing valuable areas of the audit that would be included in the final file and worked on numerous different tests. I was out on client site for 4 weeks so there was responsibility placed upon me to represent the firm in a positive light and liaise appropriately with the clients.

As a mathematics student, the skills I gained on the internship would help very little with my very individual degree. Although, the experience interacting and working in an office environment gave me valuable confidence moving forward in order to work effectively with my peers and contribute well in professional teams.

Generally positive atmosphere around the office where everyone I came into contact with took an interest in how I was getting on. The majority of the team went to lunch together and there was a togetherness in the office. Everyone was approachable with questions which promoted a comfortable office environment.

The start of the internship was a bit haphazard and the exact details could have been better communicated. Thereafter, everything was explained clearly and my bookings onto jobs at client sites was efficiently explained. The internship could have started a week earlier to avoid running into quiet season to prevent the boring final week.

I was introduced to the business school which in on the intranet. This has a wide variety of training modules in Excel, PowerPoint, etc. I was taken to a 2 day training programme at Bradenham Manor to develop my business presence. Generally, my colleagues were keen to explain things to me to help me better my understanding of audit.

The team are great to work with, they are supportive and friendly so there is a great atmosphere around the office. If you want a career in audit, the department at Grant Thornton is a great place to work. If you are studying for an ACA, the team are understanding if you have an upcoming exam etc so it gives you the best chance of success.

There was one other intern in my department and we interacted well with the rest of the office. We also met up with interns in other departments as we had met them at a national interns conference in the first week in order to discuss their experiences at Grant Thornton.

Central London is reasonably expensive compared to other areas but there is no pressure from colleagues to spend more money socialising that you would want to. I lived at home and commuted, where travel costs amounted to around £150 a month which is fairly reasonable considering the location of the office.

There are lots of bars and pubs in the surrounding area. It is a very short walk from Broadgate Circle and Exchange Square which are social hubs in the local area. These locations in particular are very close to Liverpool Street Station so are very busy on a Thursday/Friday evening.

In terms of socialising, the team were always keen to involve me in their plans and ensure that I could enjoy my time aside from work too. There were charity opportunities available (that I did not personally take up) but there was no real opportunity to get involved in sport though.