Internship Review at Grant Thornton

The Role

Role Description

The same work as a graduate would do as a tax assistant: tax computations and returns, resolving research queries, reviewing clients etc.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Overall my experience was a very positive one. The staff and other interns were lovely, the social event were enjoyable albeit a bit tame and the work was reasonably interesting. I was offered a job at the end so I can't complain.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The team were a lovely bunch of people - friendly, helpful and welcoming.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My manager was very helpful.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There were days where I had deadlines to meet and had to stay late, and others where it was fairly relaxed. So overall it was reasonably well balanced.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

You're given the same work as a graduate, which is nice, and a good deal of trust and free reign.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Good insight into the financial world and how to move up in it, got to do a bit of networking and experience a working environment.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

While I wouldn't want to give the impresson we just clowned around all day, as in fact staff were extremely hard-working, there was nevertheless a good deal of banter and a very good atmosphere in the office. People all seemed to get on very well and had a laugh.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

While the program had a clear and well-planned structure, HR at time seemed a little lost. Myself and several other interns got asked a few times for documents we had already provided, I know of one girl who did an internship in an area they had no intention of hiring into, and sometimes they did not know answers to simple questions regarding the program.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was pleased with the training I got. We went on a networking skills session, and a truly excellent presentation skills training session. I also received on-the-job training in software use and got taught how to do the work in general.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 0/10

• There were no perks with this internship

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

15 out of 16 interns were offered a partner interview with a view to a permanent job offer, and of these 15, 13 were successful and received offers, a success rate of 81.25%. The two and interviewed and didn't get a job were unlucky as 2 other interns decided to go for what would probably have otherwise been their job, as they were interning in the area, but there were only two places and they did not get them. But overall the intership offers you an excellent chance of a job.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

The interns were, I thought, pretty anti-social compared to what I expected. Social events were fairly tame and almost always finished before 11.30, we did very little socialising outside of work-organised events and any of the interns were just a bit... square. But there were a select few who were up for a laugh and have rescued this rating from about a 2 to a 5.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 1/10

Its London - you buy one round and you are broke, especially on the pittance I was getting paid.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Its London so its good, if a bit pretentious for my liking, not to mention a but pricy.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I did to CSR days, as well as a run for charity. All were loads of fun and a welcome addition to the internship program.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

Its a great program, but what they pay is not enough to live in London. If, like me, you are not from London and are looking to relocate for your internship, this may not be for you, unless you are willing to make a small net loss and dip your savings (if you have any - I don't!), or unless you have parental support, which I suspect most people don't. You get £250pw, assumin £0 tax and can expect to pay out £140+ in rent, so you can see how it wouldn't go far. Factor in nights out, lunch on the go and you can quickly see how all but the most financially prude would be hard-pressed to survive.

Review 84/84 for Grant Thornton

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