Vacation Student Review

I enjoyed the insight very much. As well as learning about audit in general I was also given days to spend with other departments such as Tax or Pensions. Here I was able to find out more about the range of services KPMG offered as well as if I was maybe more suited to something else.

I felt quite valued during my time, with almost everyone being more than happy to take some time out of their day to have a chat to me about what they did. People were also always willing to provide some sort of work after asking around, although sometimes you were left with not a lot to do.

I don't think there was ever a stage where I did not feel comfortable asking someone in charge as to whether what I was doing when completing work and then being offered the relevant guidance in order to complete my work properly. However, although I was assigned a buddy, they were rarely present and so when it came to the social side I was sometimes left asking whoever was nearby.

I don't think the skills I developed or information I received will assist me in my degree studies too much as my subject course does not have too much overlap. However getting used to the working environment and the expectations set out in my work will definitely help when it comes to starting any job.

At times it felt like the insight was a bit frantically organised with some people being unsure as to what I was meant to be doing on some days. Occasionally I would come in with little idea of what I was going to be getting up to that day and I would have to try and sort something out myself by asking people rather than actually having a set plan.

The general atmosphere was incredibly friendly throughout my insight. People were always happily chatting and getting on with work. This probably helped in putting me at ease and it also made me feel like I wasn't just an intern. There were also quite a few social events that I was invited to where everyone was very approachable which helped create the fun atmosphere.

I was given quite a few training modules to get me up to speed with how to the firm operated as well as relevant training in order to achieve the tasks that I was given. I was given the relevant equipment such as my own laptop and email immediately which gave off the impression that the firm trusted me and wanted me to complete my own work and develop my skills.

Being able to speak to more senior members at the firm I was able to ask them questions regarding what life is like when working full time whenever I was curious, and through all the different grades. It helped understand what the workload and social life is like on a day to day basis.

I would say it helped me quite a significant amount. We were given a talk through the company values at the start but I would say it was just the constant interaction with other employees that really helped me see how they operate. After going in you understand more than anyone could from an outside perspective.

I would say on an average day the tasks I was given were not representative of what I would be doing had I joined properly, but this is to be expected as I don't have any relevant training. The individual days I was given however with various departments where I was able to ask my own questions, were very helpful in allowing me to make a more informed decision.

I was paid a good salary for the amount of time I was there for as well as the level of work I was undertaking. Furthermore I was also reimbursed for any expenses I incurred such as travel to and from client site in addition to a generous lunch allowance whilst out on site.

There were frequent opportunities to do so with various social events occurring during my time a the company. I was introduced to a wealth of people from various different departments and if I ever showed curiosity in a particular area, my manager was more than happy to point me in the relevant persons direction to have a chat about any questions I had regarding other areas.

The social events were some of my favourite things during my time on the scheme. I was really able to relax and talk to whoever I wanted in a very friendly and enjoyable setting and atmosphere. Networking was also made really easy during lunch times and throughout most of the day where anyone (provided they weren't swamped) would talk to you if you wanted.

I feel I was greatly informed of all the activities because I was also invited to a lot of them. This included sporting events or volunteering and fundraising opportunities which my seniors would encourage me to get involved in after work. Although I wasn't able to partake in all of them I feel as though I found out about them very well.

I would say that on the whole this insight is worth doing. You will get a much better idea of whether this line of work is for you than by doing research online. Although the work is lacking at times, the people are so immensely helpful and friendly that it's really quite good in the end.