Assurance Intern Review

I worked in the FS assurance line, and day to day I would be given some client work to do by someone working on the same client as me. They would initially talk me through what I needed to do, then would let me try it for myself but I could always ask for help if I was unsure on something. A lot of my work involved updating 2021 documents to reflect new data from 2022.

I have definitely developed my skills in microsoft excel, as I used this almost daily. I have also developed my collaboration and communications skills, as a lot of the time I was working with others in order to figure out what I was supposed to do. The main skill I developed was being able to ask the right questions so that I could most efficiently figure out what it was that I needed to do.

I was given a reasonable amount of responsibility considering the short time I was there. I was able to email and interact directly with clients, and was also able to come up with slightly different ways of doing a couple of tasks that I thought might work better. Much of what I was working on did seem to be of low importance, but it was work that I could pick up easily which explains why.

I had a buddy and a counsellor throughout my internship. They were very helpful and made sure I always knew what was going on in the office and what I should be aware of. The people working on my team were also equally as helpful and friendly, which made it very easy to ask for guidance when I was stuck on a certain task. Therefore I would say there was plenty of support and guidance.

The general atmosphere was very friendly, open and relaxed. Everyone seemed to be happy with the company they were working for, and it was a peaceful place to work. The company culture is very teaming, with people frequently helping each other out. There were frequent social events, both for my team and the office as a whole, which were always enjoyable occasions. There were also charity events that occurred, which many people got involved in.

The work I was participating in was for the most part fairly mundane and not overly interesting. However, I never found myself wishing for the time to go by faster or not looking forward to going to work. The team I was working with were a lovely group which I really enjoyed spending time with, especially outside of work at socials and at lunch. The relaxed culture as well was refreshing. I would go back to work with this company.

Yes

I recommend reading in depth about the role that you are applying for so that you are sure about what exactly it is that has motivated you to apply for it. In terms of the assessment centre, I would advise just being mindful of the time during the group activity, and ensuring that you state your opinions whilst also giving others the space to share what they think. To prepare for day 1, there is nothing you need to do. Just turn up with an open mind.