Leadership Academy Participant Review

Amazing! Learnt so much about myself and the company. Went expecting it to be just another internship and turned out to be an experience of a lifetime. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about leadership regardless of whether you're interested in accountancy or not!

There was a very friendly team based approach to everything from the word go. We completed work in smaller groups of seven plus a facilitator so you really got to personally add value to every task. Everyone got the chance to have their voice heard and implement decisions there was no pressure to do anything you didn't want to. I felt valued and also respected.

A lot of the time it was about learning things for/about yourself and other people. Facilitators were really friendly and supportive, but it was more about being yourself which I really liked. It was a pretty structure programme from morning to evening so you were never lost as to where you were supposed to be or what you were supposed to be doing.

Although not working/doing activities all the time, there were also some great networking opportunities and social events, so I was busy from the moment I got up til the moment I went to sleep. Literally!

You were very responsible for your own learning, and also how much contribution you gave to your team. The exercises we were given were less about taking on a lot of responsibility and more about working together as a team. That said though there were times when you had to step us as team leader etc, so in that respect it wasn't completely without.

I honestly mean it when I say I think I've gained skills for life. I've done so many other internships where they don't care how you do it as long as it's right, here the entire focus was on developing yourself as a person to become the best and most effective leader you could. The people who gave the training were really inspirational as well!

Fun but focused. Everyone was very focused which made it a really positive place to be.

Apart from a slight mishap about where breakfast was one morning everything else was organised flawlessly. There was constant communication to let us know what was going on and why that made the whole thing very easy from our point of view!

As I have said, the whole course was about developing you as a person, and it was seriously impressive the amount of effort they put into doing so.

A future job with them definitely appeals, however it is not a fast track straight through to a Summer Internship/Grad offer (although you do skip a couple of stages). I do however feel much better prepared for the whole application process now though.

Evening events were fun and relaxed, and it was a great opportunity to mix with like-minded and inspiring people, all who seemed very sociable.

As a residential course the company covered all the costs!

Not really applicable as we were staying in a hotel/park, but evening activities were definitely not lacking - think karaoke etc.

Lots of networking opportunities and there was a pool and gym on site.