Tax Intern Review

I enjoyed this internship immensely. I really feel I have developed as a person because this was the first time I have worked at a company for an extended amount of time. I was able to improve my networking, time management and presentation skills just to name a few and was also able to get involved with work which made me feel I was valued by the team. My colleagues were all very friendly, from Associates all the way up to the Partner. Overall it was a fantastic experience.

I felt immensely valued by my colleagues. I was given tasks in which I could make a real contribution to the team. There were only rare instances where I was giving slightly more menial jobs, but of course general admin is part of the job, even for permanent employees at the firm.

I received very helpful feedback in both of my meetings (the first one was in Week 4 of 6 of my internship and the second was my exit meeting) with my manager. She encouraged me to be more proactive in terms of approaching Directors and Partners on the team and this was the best piece of advice I received on the internship. I subsequently set up meetings with Management and I learnt a lot from just speaking to them. Support from the rest of the team was also great - I felt like I could always approach them for help if I didn't know how to do a certain task.

There were very few instances when I didn't have anything to do. There are weekly team meetings when everyone reports back on the amount of work they already have on their hands and work is delegated out subsequently. You can take on an appropriate amount of work at this meeting to make sure that you're busy throughout the week. Even if you do end up with extra time on your hands throughout the week, you just have to ask around your team and someone else will always appreciate extra help!

I was given a good amount of responsibility. I was doing tasks which a graduate would be doing but at the same time I knew that I could rely on more senior members to help me out if I wasn't able to catch something down at a meeting or I didn't understand how to do something.

I have developed so many skills on this internship. In terms of in the office, sorting out your own schedule and making sure you always have work to do has enabled me to improve on my time management skills. As part of the internship, you have to attend a two-day training programme. The workshops are centred around developing your presentation skills and I was able to gain so much from the training. You attend this training with other interns too, which allowed me to develop my networking skills further.

I'm not sure what it's like in other teams within the office, but the atmosphere within my team was amazing. Everyone bonded and it genuinely felt like a family. Everyone would grab lunch together regularly and there were many funny moments in the office!

Overall, the internship was well organised. Before we started the internship, we received e-mails from HR allocating us with a buddy and a manager who we could contact with any questions before the internship. For the first day, there was a general orientation day for all interns within the same region and you were given a rough overview of what is expected from you. There was a mind-internship meeting with your manager where feedback was provided and I found this incredibly useful. Your goals, which were set within the first two weeks were also reviewed to ensure that you are gaining something from the internship.

Grant Thornton invests a lot in its interns. The compulsory two-day training course at Bradenham Manor demonstrates just this. As highlighted above, you are essentially coached on your presentation skills along with some other interns in a friendly and safe environment. This training really enabled me to develop my presentation skills - I am now more confident, understand how to properly structure a presentation and know a range of techniques which can be used to maintain people's attention. As I had to give a presentation to the rest of my team at the end of my internship, the training helped immensely and I am certain everything I learnt will aid me in future employment.

I think Grant Thornton is a great company to work for. It really invests in its employees both in terms of training but also the availability of secondments. In fact, secondments both within the firm (in the UK and abroad) and outside the firm are actively encouraged, which provides the perfect opportunity for people to develop as individuals. The people there are all very approachable and friendly too, making the whole experience even better.

There were a couple of events specifically for interns throughout the internship - there was a pub quiz in the first week and also a leaving drinks. This was a fantastic opportunity to get to know other interns, especially those based in a different office to yourself or working in a different service line. However, I understand that there were a bit more events for interns in previous years.

I worked in the Euston office in London, so London being London, the cost of living is considerably high. Everything from food to travel adds up pretty quickly. However, there are plenty of opportunities to socialise - there are some very good bars and restaurants in London which won't damage your wallet too much.

There are plenty of bars but not really clubs around the office. However, travelling around London is easy - everything is so close so it shouldn't be a problem at all in terms of nightlife. The only downside is of course the price.

I was lucky that my team's annual Away Day was held in July. We completed some team-bonding activities around Central London (it was a treasure hunt type event) followed by a lunch and a cocktail making class. There was also a team drinks because the team had won an award. I have also heard that there are opportunities to take part in various sport tournaments within the firm.