Insight Day Participant Review

I very much enjoyed my insight day at BDO and found it to be a very informative and enjoyable experience. The day was broken up well so it wasn't just endless talking and there were plenty of interactive sessions and networking opportunities. Overall, a very enjoyable day and I would recommend this opportunity to anyone interested in the sector.

I felt very well valued during my time spent at BDO. The staff took the time to answer of all my questions and to really listen to what I had to say. I also felt that my fellow participants valued me as an individual and listened to my input. Despite only being with BDO for a day I certainly felt very well valued.

I felt very well supported throughout this insight and I found that all of the organisers of the programme were extremely approachable and were more than happy to answer any of my questions. This allowed me to find out everything I wanted to know about both the company and the industry.

This insight will definitely help to a great extent in terms any future job applications in the upcoming year. Having an detailed insight in to the application process was certainly very helpful and I now know what parts to focus on and how to deal with strengths and competency based questions.

I found this insight to be very well structure. We were provided with a timetable of activities at the start of the day, with small breaks in between for people to grab a drink of water or to go to the toilet. The day began with an ice breaker, followed by an sector information session, lunch, then the application process. There was a fun quiz at the end to wrap the day up and overall I found the structure to be perfect!

The general atmosphere on the insight day at BDO was relaxed and welcoming. This was mainly down to the extremely friendly staff, who took the time to get to know each of us individually. I also found the other insight day participants to be very friendly and this instantly put me at ease.

Despite being at the firm for one day, I think they invested a great deal into us. Whilst there was no formal training, the day was focused solely on our personal development. I was able to practice my interview answers and skills and, in turn, develop my communication and confidence when talking to employees and other students.

As this was only a 1 day insight event, the extent to which we experienced day-to-day life at BDO was somewhat limited. However, during my short time at spent at the firm, I gained a much better understand of what it would be like to have a full time role as I had the opportunity to speak openly and honestly with staff about their experiences.

During this insight, we had the opportunity to learn more about the culture at BDO as the staff spoke about the social aspects of their jobs and we got to learn about how they all work together within the company and their teams. Overall, it was clear to see that BDO has a very open and collaborative culture.

I found the content of the insight day was valuable in helping me to decide whether I would like to pursue a career in the accountancy sector. Whilst I have decided that this sector is not for me, the skills that I developed on this day (interview skills etc) will help me to pursue a career in my chosen sector.

I was not paid for this insight day, nor reimbursed expenses so I would recommend applying to an office close to your home or university. Food and drink was provided throughout the day.

Yes, there were some opportunities for networking and meeting employees of the company on this insight day at BDO. There was a Q & A session where we could talk to employees about their experiences at BDO. Furthermore, during lunch we had the opportunity to network with a range of different employees.

The networking opportunities were good and I enjoyed chatting to employees over lunch.

Yes, there are lots of different activities that employees can get involved in outside of work.

Yes, I would absolutely recommend this insight to a friend! Whilst I decided this sector is not for me, I still found the day very valuable and I was able to get a lot out of it!