Audit Associate Review

Overall I have enjoyed my time on placement, however it can vary a lot week to week depending on who your clients are and who else is in your team. The work is enjoyable, or at least most of it, and there is a lot of variation in the job which keeps it interesting. Of course there are going to be some more tedious days, but most of the time you are away from the office on a client site and usually there is plenty to keep you busy.

Being in a regional office meant that the department was a lot smaller than the bigger offices. It was easy to get to know everyone as you end up working with most people in the department for at least a couple of weeks.

Learning is a major part of placement at KPMG. Most of the time you are working in small teams and people are always happy to give you guidance if there is anything you are unsure of. Also, when sitting CA/ACA exams, most colleagues are only 2-3 years ahead of you and so you are always getting advice and tips on how to remember things.

Most of the time there is plenty of work to keep you busy, however there are some slower days. You are always encouraged to seek work by yourself if there is nothing for you to do on the specific client that you are booked on, and there are always managers with work to delegate!

Responsibility is given handed down fairly quickly, being given sections of the audit to complete by myself (with supervision), or having to go and attend a stock count alone. Though it is really after a year or two when it seems you are given real responsibility, managing teams on site and planning resources.

I have not returned to uni yet, however, i already know that the skills I have picked up on placement will help me a lot. Simple but useful things such as time management and interpersonal skills will be valuable when I return to difficult tutors at uni!

As a placement student I felt no different to the graduate intake that started at the same time as me, and my role was identical. There were a few issues however, such as being given the wrong start date, and consequently starting my placement 5 weeks earlier than I had planned. The only other issue was registration with ICAS, but it was resolved fairly quickly. Other than that I have no complaints.

I feel KPMG invest a lot in their people. Other than paying for my ICAS tuition and exams, we were sent on two weeks of training throughout the year with dedicated courses on most of the tasks I was expected to do daily.

Future prospects are very good within the organisation. Before you qualify as a CA, if you are following that route, there is limited scope for movement within the organisation. However, after qualifiaction the opportunities seem to open, whether that be secondments to another county, another department, or spending time one the people development team.

Aberdeen is not the cheapest place to live in the world! Rents are notoriously high, and even finding a flat can be a marathon task. I would recommend looking early if you intend to move this far north! However wages are also inflated to compensate for this.

The nightlift in Aberdeen is generally good, however it can take a while to find your favourite spot. Lots of the nicest places are hidden away and can be easily missed, but there are good bars and restaurants around, you just need to ask where.

There seemed to be plenty of opportunities to get involved outside of work. KPMG are very active in their CSR and have a team in every office. I also managed to get onto some graduate recruitment events which is a welcome excursion back to university!