First Year Insight Programme Member Review

I really enjoyed the insight programme; it was both informative and interesting. I liked the fact that we weren't talked at the whole time and we were able to participate in skills sessions that really enhanced our understanding and capabilities.

We were visited by a wide range of KPMG employees, from graduates to directors, which made me feel that we were very important to the company. I also felt that KPMG were selling their appeal to us as a company, rather than assuming that we all aspired to work for them in the future.

A KPMG employee was present throughout the whole programme and she was a constant source of support and guidance. There were also regular visitors that made sure we knew what was going on at all times. Though some concepts were hard to understand, there was always someone present to answer any questions.

The skills and information learned as a result of this programme overwhelmingly aided my understanding of business and the basic functions of each KPMG service. Though it probably won't help me in my academic degree, the help it will provide throughout my future career will be considerable.

There were intense, hour long sessions that were broken up with short breaks that really allowed us to clear our heads and focus on the next section of the programme. No one exercise was too long and drawn out, which meant that out attention was maintained throughout the two days.

Very friendly, relaxed and welcoming, though it also reinforced the concepts of hard work, dedication and resilience that are central to the KPMG brand. I really enjoyed working with a smaller group of people and was not made to feel in competition with anyone, which could have created a more tense atmosphere.

The programme was mostly centred around the understanding of each function of KPMG and I felt that this was explained thoroughly.

The business game on the second day was an extremely useful tool to help us understand the core purpose of KPMG as an advisory service. I think that this was invaluable as a means to show us the work that KPMG does on a daily basis.

The insight programme meant that I was able to interact with many KPMG employees, who all stressed the 'people' aspect of the company, which especially appealed to me.

I am now much more certain that at the end of my degree I would really enjoy pursuing a career in audit, which I had previously thought was quite a laborious and, honestly, boring area. The KPMG employee who talked to us about audit really inspired me to research the profession and I have realised that it is a lot more complex and wide-ranging than I once thought.

I was not paid or reimbursed, but had the option to be reimbursed for travel.

Yes, and this was held in a local pub. Though it was quite an informal setting, I found it hard to relate to employees that were older than graduates, which made networking harder.

Quite a cramped area but enough employees to meet.

KPMG value charity work and also have frequent socials and sporting events.

Really valuable as an insight into business and invaluable if you hope to get a job with KPMG in the future.