Associate - Audit Review

I really enjoyed my time at Grant Thornton and would definitely recommend the company to anybody looking for an internship/placement. I did a six week internship and the programme was very well organised. The whole recruitment process was friendly and personable and I would encourage people to apply.

At Grant Thornton, we operate with what is called a 'Shared Enterprise' model. Essentially, what this means is that everybody within the team, no matter what level you are within the firm has a valid and valuable opinion. I was always encouraged to contribute on projects and my opinions were definitely taken on board. I was treated as if I was a proper associate and not an intern.

Grant Thornton has a good support system in place. You have a people manager who will help you with any difficulties you have or anything regarding your career that you want to discuss. They are always more than happy to talk to you and you have weekly catch up calls with them so they can check your progress. You are also assigned a buddy (an associate) who you are introduced to on the first day and who you can talk to about more informal things. I never felt like I was thrown in at the deep end and the managers on site will always provide you with help and guidance if you find you get stuck.

I was given quite challenging tasks from day one (however I was guided through how to complete them and got to ask lots of questions throughout the day). I was working at a good pace however, it was not extremely busy and I never felt like I had nothing to do. I never felt stressed going to work or worried that I would not complete the tasks I was set - you are given enough work to stretch you and challenge you but I feel that the work load was achievable.

LOTS! You are treated as if you were an associated from day one at the firm. You are a valued member of the team you are assigned to and you will be expected to be a good team player. I enjoyed having quite a lot of responsibility because it gave me a really good insight into what I would be doing on a day to day basis as a graduate trainee.

I have learnt and improved a lot of professional skills during my time on the six week placement. I have also improved my confidence greatly in a professional environment. The interns take part in a two day training course at Bradenham Manor (the training centre for GT) and therefore we development many skills during this time. I feel like I have had a real insight into the working world and will be able to apply these skills in the future.

Most of the time, I was working on client site due to the nature of my job (Audit). However, when I was in the office I felt relaxed and there is a nice atmosphere. It is not intense and there is always someone to talk to.

I feel like a lot of effort was put into organising the internship programme (from day one to organising our training days at Bradenham Manor). The internship programme allowed me to gain a real insight into what I would be doing on a daily basis. At the end of the six weeks, you are required to give a short presentation to a group of colleagues so there was a definite structure to the programme.

The company are keen to invest in you from day one in order to develop your career with Grant Thornton. I feel that the company make you feel very valued and welcomed and they are keen to make sure you enjoy what you do. You are challenged definitely and are encouraged to challenge other people's opinions to create new ideas within the firm. You are also encouraged to make the most of your time at the company -whether it be getting experience in another department you are interested in or shadowing a partner etc.

Grant Thornton encourage you to grow and progress in your career with them. I feel future employment prospects are good, as the company has invested a lot of time and effort recruiting and training you for/during the six week internship. There are also many opportunities within the firm to get experience in other departments (secondments) or also opportunities to work abroad etc.

At the beginning of the internship there was an intern/placement conference where all of the interns from across the country were invited for drinks and food and then a conference the next day. Within my department, we have had lunches etc. to get to know our colleagues and we have organised ourselves to go out on many occasions for drinks or dinner after work to get to know each other. At the training days at Bradenham we got to know other interns from different departments within the London office which was good to broaden the social circle within the office.

I worked in the London office (I am at University at London) therefore I already had a flat to live in during my time at Grant Thornton. As I am used to London prices, I wouldn't complain about the cost of living however obviously it is above other areas in the UK.

Great - of course, there are so many places to go out in London (and lots of places to go after work in the city near to where the office is located). There is something for everybody.

Yes - we were encouraged to get involved with a micro-financing challenge within our teams which involved raising money in order to invest in third world entrepreneurs. As I was only here for six weeks it was a bit too short to get involved with anything else however I was aware that you could take part in things such as sports, charity work etc within the firm. You also have the opportunity to write a blog post/article for the spilling the beans trainee blog which I did during my time at Grant Thornton.