Vacation Student Review

Great team spirit throughout the company. Colleagues were invariably friendly, welcoming and encouraging. I was given a pleasing amount of responsibility by my in-charges. On occasion, the hours were quite long, and the work somewhat challenging, but in many ways this made the placement all the more rewarding.

Very much so. Colleagues were quick to pay compliments, and even prepared to ask for advice on matters when they felt I could provide additional value. I was trusted and encouraged to take the lead in client meetings, rather told to simply sit back and observe. Colleagues were rigourous in thanking me for the work I completed and happy to provide feedback when asked.

This was one aspect in which the placement was entirely without fault. My in-charges were always more than happy to answer any questions I had, but also struck a fine balance in allowing me to figure certain things out for myself, thereby helping my learning. Any mistakes I made were met with patience and assistance in pointing me in the right direction to avoid similar errors in the future.

Fairly. I would tend to work a 9.30 - 6.30 day, with around 45 mins for lunch, though deadlines meant this varied a little. I was given enough work to keep me occupied and ensure I felt like I was able to add value and contribute to the team. Yet I also had enough time to actively learn from my tasks, looking up things I didn't know or understand, and to sit back and fully understand the context and purpose behind what I was doing.

The amount of responsibility I was given developed in a pleasing manner throughout the eight weeks I was there. Initially, I mainly helped certain team members with individual tasks. By the end, I was more or less given responsibility for performing whole segments of the audit.

Though the content of my work wasn't directly applicable to my degree, the placement developed my time management, communication and research skills. Moreover, the placement helped me to confirm that this is given the area I hope to work in after graduating, and provided invaluable exposure to the industry and the job.

The work was serious, and there was a clear understanding of the importance of the job and the need to work hard, but colleagues were friendly, chatty at times, and welcoming. Errors were never remotely held against you - instead the emphasis was placed on the learning opportunities that this enabled.

I think that there is a trade off between prior organisation and flexibility that needs to be recognised. I felt that arrangements in terms of the clients I was placed on were fairly last minute, and it would have been nice to have had this information far further in advance. However, I can see that staffing requirements can be hard to gauge, and having junior members of staff that can be moved to different teams at short notice is perhaps necessary for efficiency.

Colleagues were always keen to answer questions whenever I had them and to offer further information to help my learning. Aside from the initial induction day, there was no formal training as such, but this wasn't to be expected for an eight week placement. The level of formal training once you join the firm as a graduate is extremely high, however.

I would be very keen on a job at KPMG. The company is held in high-esteem, the training it offers is first-rate, the personal investment made in the staff is commendable, the opportunities for career progression are substantial, the broad business exposure is appealing, and the atmosphere and team spirit are enjoyable and stimulating.

It's a fairly young company, with a lot of recent graduates, so yes.

Central London so expensive.

Central London so big.

KPMG runs a number of organisations and societies which are very welcoming and cater to a variety of abilities. Alternatively, it's straight forward to join a local club outside of work.