Associate (intern) Review

Really enjoyed the placement. The work that we were given was really varied, and therefore gives a good insight into what you could be doing. The people there were also really friendly, generally a really nice office.

We were basically treated as first year graduates (associates) - I was completing work that was given to associates so it was really nice to be contributing to the team and be valued by the more senior workers.

I was always working with someone who was new or newish for each and every job - so this person was always my first point of contact which was great. Also if you ever wanted to talk to someone more senior (managers, directors or even partners), they were always willing to have a chat.

Some days there was a lot of work and some days there wasn't enough. That's generally just how it is with accountancy and it wasn't really anyone's fault. The other days I thought were great - busy, but not too busy.

I felt I was given quite a lot of responsibility. As stated earlier, I was doing work that a first year associate would be doing, so it was nice to be doing actual work and contributing to the team, rather than just shadowing and making notes.

I learnt a great deal - at the start of the placement I didn't know any accounting terminology or how to read a balance sheet. I have gained a lot of insight into different types of businesses and I think that it will help when it comes to applying for jobs, and possibly my dissertation.

Typically it was a really good atmosphere - the office is fairly young and even the more senior people were a good laugh. On some days there was barely anyone in the office though - mainly due to people taking holidays or were on study leave, but throughout the year it probably wouldn't be like that.

There was a clear schedule of what we'd be doing each week - and within each week we were assigned people who would tell us what to do and how to do certain tasks etc. It never felt like we were just there, waiting around for some work - a very clear and organised schedule made the placement a lot more enjoyable.

It was pretty obvious that the firm invests a great deal of resources - both time and money into each and every intern. There was an induction that lasted an entire week focusing on general things like team work, and the more technical side of things such as the types of tax, and the tailored software that we would be using. They also put a lot of time into giving you feedback, to help you improve.

It seems that the firm does take on the majority of the interns, apart from the few who didn't like working with them, or just chose not to apply themselves. I haven't got the offer yet but we've been told our chances are good.

There were a fair few social events including bowling, drinks etc.

Well Southampton is typically quite a cheap place to live (although there are obviously certain areas which are more expensive), so in terms of socialising and living - it was a very ideal place to be.

Southampton has a really decent nightlife - there's a lot of student clubs and normal clubs.

There weren't many for the placement, but this was because it's a fairly short placement. Throughout the year as an associate, you would definitely have the chance to get to do different activities outside of work.