Student placement Review

I really enjoyed the experience, and enabled me to make the decision to apply and accept the offer of an apprenticeship with BDO. It was a good working atmosphere at BDO Gatwick, and I was included in social outings for food and drink with other employees. I was made to feel very welcome.

I felt I was given real work to do for real clients at BDO, and as such I felt my contribution was valued. It gave me a very good insight into the general working day of an accountant, and experience of working as part of an accounting team.

I received good guidance and support,, and although I was given work for which I was solely responsible, I could ask my supervisors for help. I think there was a good balance of giving me work for me to get on with, and giving me support when I needed it.

This question is not applicable as I completed my 4 week placement during the summer holidays between year 12 and 13 at college.It has however enabled me to make up my mind to do an accountancy apprenticeship at BDO.

It was very well structured. I spent the first day at BDO's Head Office in London, where I met other placement students from all over the country. I was then given a laptop with BDO software that I could use for the rest of my placement at the Gatwick office. I was given a "buddy" at my workplace, and a supervisor who allocated my work. Overall it was very well planned.

As I have already mentioned I was given a "buddy", who was a fairly new trainee at BDO, who was able to explain the systems to me. My supervisor took time to explain the work which was given to me, so that I could complete it to a good standard. This generated a good working atmosphere.

As I was provided with a laptop with company software and my work was for real clients, I was instructed in BDO's standard way of presenting accounts. So they invested time and money in providing me with real training opportunities.

The insight gave me a very good understanding of what it would be like to have a full time role with BDO. I have been on other insight days with other accounting firms and this placement was the most insightful and gave me the best idea of what the day to day life of accountant involves.

I learnt about BDO,s values, and gained a good understanding of the company culture, I had also done a lot of research online.

The content of the day was very useful in helping me decide my future career path. I was interested in accounting, but I had no friends or relatives in that profession so giving me a realistic idea of the day to day work of an accountant, enabled me to finally decide this is definitely what I want to do. My experience of BDO was so positive, that not only did it make me decide to become an accountant but it also made me decide to work for BDO. I have happily accepted an apprenticeship with BDO.

When I applied I did not know it would be a paid placement. As well as being paid, I was also reimbursed travel expenses, in my case train fare from my home to Gatwick/London every day for the 4 week placement.

Yes,there were lots of networking opportunities. My first day was spent at head office in London where I met BDO employees and other placement students based at other BDO offices around the country. I met a lot of BDO employees at Gatwick. including an interview with a partner at the end of my placement.

I went out for lunch several times during my placement, and I went to the BDO summer party, which was a free dinner at a hotel on a Friday evening, attended by most of the employees of BDO Gatwick.

I think I was there for too short a time to find out about outside activities.

As this has been such a positive experience for me I would have no reservations in recommending this insight to a friend.