Tax vacation student Review

I have really enjoyed the 4 weeks I have spent at KPMG learning more about the Tax department and the company itself. It is an incredible experience as it gives you a real taste of what the job is like, and it also gives you a feeling for the company.

Not having done an internship before, I did not really know what to expect from it. However, now that I have completed the internship, I can say that every single team member treated me like I was part of their team since day one, and they also made me feel valued during my time at the firm.

Before joining the firm, I had been assigned a buddy that helped me throughout the whole vacation scheme. The best thing was that I did not only have my buddy to support and help me, but that everyone in the team, regardless of seniority, was always available for any question I might have had.

I believe that what I have learnt and the skills I have developed over my time at the firm will be helpful in the future, when I will start my career. However, I do not think they will be as helpful during my final year of studies because what people study at University is not quite the same as what they do in the workplace.

The vacation scheme was very well structured. I remember I received a candidate starter pack before I joined the company with all the relevant information such as information about pre employment checks, induction day, length of the scheme etc. It was also structured in a way that I always had something to do, which I think is very important.

Before joining the vacation scheme, I did not know what to expect in terms of team and atmosphere. When I then joined the firm, I noticed that everyone in the team was very friendly and there to guide me/answer any question I had. Over the 4 weeks we also had some social lunches outside the office and I believe this is something that is really important to create a successful team.

The first two days in the office were mainly spent by doing the online trainings. I remember there were a lot of compulsory trainings and some non compulsory ones as well. In addition, I had weekly meetings with my buddy, manager and leader to talk about the placement in general and my goals.

The vacation scheme really gave me a good taste of what is like working for KPMG. Since the first day I have always been proactive to get involved in as many projects as possible because that was the only way for me to see with my eyes what they actually do on a daily basis.

Even though 4 weeks is not a very long time, I think it was enough for me to have a feeling about the firm. I have to say that it is even better than what I expected: one of their values says “we respect the individuals”, and I can say that it is absolutely what they believe in, no matter what level you are.

I think the Tax vacation scheme was more a confirmation of my thoughts. Studying accounting and finance, I have always wanted to work in the financial industry, especially in one of the big4. Spending 4 weeks in their office, made me realise even more that it is the right path for me.

As part of my contract, KPMG paid me a salary for the duration of the vacation scheme and I had a lunch allowance as well. In addition, I had the chance to claim back some expenses I incurred such as train tickets to Birmingham (where the induction day was), fuel and dinner (social).

Yes there were a lot of opportunities to network and talk to other employees of the firm, even from different departments. I have even attended a few socials where I had the chance to meet and introduce myself to senior members of the firm such as partners, directors and senior managers.

Over the 4 weeks of placement I have spent in the office, the whole team and I would go for lunch outside the office at least once a week. I have also attended a social in London, at the British museum, to network with fellow vacation students from different offices and different departments than mines.

Yes I did find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work such as ski trips or marathons, just to name a few. One thing I really like about KPMG is the fact that every employee gets a certain amount of days during the year to do some volunteering activities.

I would 100% recommend the KPMG Vacation scheme to anyone that is interested in pursuing a career in that field. Sometimes students may feel a bit scared of the future, and my suggestion for them is to try (doing a vacation scheme for example) and see if they are the right person to do that job.