Audit Associate Review

At the start of my summer internship I really wasn't enjoying myself. I think it was the shock of going from living a student lifestyle to being immersed in full-time work, and not having any previous audit experience so feeling a bit lost at times. However, I received lots of support and guidance from my colleagues, made fantastic progress and was sad to leave at the end of the summer.

My work was valued by my team and they were always grateful for my contribution. They wanted me to ask lots and questions and learn as much as possible in my time at KPMG.

There were two induction days at the start of the internship - one was an introduction to audit and KPMG, and the other was in my office and more specific to the sorts of things that I'd be doing on a daily basis. I also had two buddies (who were on the graduate scheme) assigned to me who I could contact about anything at all. This was great as it was good to have someone to raise queries with more informally than with a manager. Finally, I had a progress review with my manager halfway through my internship, and then at the end too.

It varied completely with what client I was working on and what stage the audit was at. Some days I felt quite pressured to get tasks completed on time and other days I had little work to do. I think this was partly because it was the summer which is usually a quieter period in the audit calendar.

As a summer intern I was given the same level of responsibility as a new graduate. At the start of my internship, I was given non-risky and non-significant areas to audit. However, as I progressed I was given more responsibility and was auditing significant areas and had greater client interaction.

The skills I developed will be invaluable in my future career. The most important thing I developed was communication. It may sound simple but it is a fantastic skill to have that you use everyday and will set you apart from other candidates. At university I will be able to perform group work better and communicate more effectively with senior teaching staff.

There was a friendly atmosphere in the office. People got on with their work but there was enough time for a chat and a joke every now and then.

Very well organised from the recruitment process to on-boarding, and then getting my partner interview arranged.

No formal classroom training as such, as most of what I learnt was on the job training. On the graduate scheme the firm will invest in your chartered accountancy qualification.

Based on my performance during the summer I have an upcoming partner interview for a graduate role .

There was a good friendly relationship between all interns in my office. There were a few social events during the summer. For example, there was a mini golf event after work one night with a meal and drinks afterwards. There was also an activity day to a high ropes course which was followed by a barbecue and drinks.

Midlands - so fairly reasonable.

Not the most lively compared to big cities. Mostly bars and restaurants rather than clubs.

As mentioned above, there were a few social activities during the summer which were all put on courtesy of the firm. There was also an indoor ski/snowboard night.