Summer Internship - Audit Associate Review

I did not know what to expect, but the main thing that stood out for me and contributed to how much I enjoyed my month here was the social/work balance. I think I assumed everyone would work in silence all day, but whilst still learning lots I got chance to chat with everyone I worked with, which made a real difference. The days flew by!

I felt like they didn't mind me asking so many questions, but I also felt unless I asked them questions they would not have paid as much attention to me as I imagined they would have. Some of them told me the work I produced was very useful to them, which did make me feel valued. Sometimes it was hard to tell how important my contributions were, but the majority seemed to be worthwhile to them.

The support I received was wonderful- I got answers to all my questions and I did not start any task until I was satisfied enough that my managers had given me enough guidance- just sometimes this was difficult because I didn't know what I didn't know, which makes it hard for them to help me.

It varied. I always had something to do but sometimes I felt like I should have had a tighter timeframe because no one was watching me too carefully to see how quickly I was working. I feel could have got more tasks done, but it was enjoyable and useful to take my time to fully read and understand everything. It was unclear how busy you were expected to be. I didn't help that I never knew what my next task would be or how long it would take.

At the beginning, I didn't feel responsible for much at all because I felt like the tasks I was given were not very important, but, as I understood the whole Audit process more, I realised some of what I was doing was final work to be added to the file. It was also nice to have a work experience girl with me for a week who I had some responsibility for.

I was amazed at how much of my accounting knowledge was useful! Seeing how it is used in practice instead of just theoretically will definitely put things in a bigger picture for me when I continue my studies at university. I developed some other skills, such as general business/professional etiquette and interrogation/communication skills, which will be helpful for me in future employment.

This is what surprised me the most- I now understand why everyone says the people at KPMG are so good to be around! Everyone was lovely, and although still professional, I never felt not involved or lonely. I felt part of the business and like everybody welcomed me in. It was never silent, but not distracting, and a very comfortable environment.

At the beginning, the organisation was faultless. However, day to day, I feel like I could have had a better plan of my time here. Sometimes I felt like I was lacking direction. Also, we were asked about where we lived and if we had access to a car, so clients could be more suitable allocated, but I still travelled up to 4 hours round trip every day- what I said didn't seem to make much difference. The passport and PM meeting were useful, though.

I completed online training but I did not feel like this was fully appreciated. But, all my questions were answered and my incharges spent a lot of time explaining things and teaching me. I had regular meetings with my performance manager but it was unclear whether this was just a formality or how much difference it made.

After the internship i did get an offer from KPMG to be placed on their graduate scheme for audit in september 2019. i will accept the offer because i had a great experience over the 4 weeks and also because the career prospects through KPMG are very high so make me feel it is the right organisation for me.

The social scene amongst my colleagues was really good. Lots of my colleagues were fun to be around and were really interesting people. It was also nice going out at night with some of them because I got to know them more. Everyone I met seemed really friendly in the office and were nice to be around.

Manchester is not too expensive (especially when comparing it to London). I didn't live in Manchester while I was on the internship - I commuted from home. But I found that when I did spend money it wasn't too expensive - there were always cheaper/ more expensive options, depending on what you wanted.

The nightlife in Manchester is really good. There are lots of bars and clubs to go to and they can be really busy. It also helped that the KPMG office is in the centre of the city, and so it was convenient when going out with colleagues after work together. Overall the nightlife in Manchester is lovely.

Every Friday we were sent quizzes to contribute to Tribe points, and there was also a celebration social event for all the interns, and a compulsory activities day that was really fun. This is a lot more than I was expecting in the month I was there. I think its good that they have this large of a social side.