Summer Intern Review

I really enjoyed the 6 weeks I spent working with BDO in the Corporate Tax team at their Reading office. The training week in Birmingham was great preparation before starting work at the office and meant I learnt difficult concepts far more quickly than I would have done otherwise. Everyone in the office was very welcoming and supportive - keen to get me involved in as much as possible. The work varied as I was given an insight into all aspects, which made it more interesting.

My colleagues were very welcoming from day 1 and there was always a great atmosphere around the office. There was not 1 person who I didn't get on with and it made my experience far richer. I felt as though I was making a difference every day and my contributions were truly valued. I was allowed to be myself and never felt like a number in the crowd, which is credit to the firm.

Although my manager was always willing to help, as a more senior member of the team I had little to do with her. The majority of the work I did on a daily basis was for trainee graduates, in particular my buddy whom I was allocated before I started working at the firm. Therefore, it was mainly my buddy who I turned to for help and she was always very supportive.

I was almost always sufficiently busy. In the last week there was less work to do, partly because August in the tax department tends to be a quiet time of year but also because it was harder to give me work knowing it may be a task I would not be able to complete before leaving. However, if there was ever a time I didn't have work I would ask around the department and there would always be someone who had something they were needing help with.

I was surprised by how much responsibility I was given as an intern. My colleagues were keen to get me involved in as many different aspects of the work of possible, giving a deeper understanding of the job they do and whether it was an area I would be interested in working in in the future. I was even given the opportunity to go to a new client meeting with a more senior team member, which was an invaluable experience.

I developed a number of skills during my time at BDO. These skills mainly arose from doing the group project alongside the internship as this required great team work, time management, organisation, communication and coordination. These skills will be invaluable to me later in life, particularly in the work place.

There was always a great atmosphere in the Reading office. Everyone was really friendly and keen to get to know the interns better. We often went out for lunches in groups and go out for drinks after work.

I felt as though the internship was very well organised, particularly the training week in Birmingham, where the company had organised evening socials for all the interns.

The company invested a lot in me as an intern and they were always concerned with my development. The technical training we received in Birmingham was the best example of this.

Future employment prospects are bright. The internship was an invaluable experience, particularly given the current extent of competition for jobs, and I feel as though it has put me in good stead to land a graduate job.

Yes, there was a good social scene amongst the fellow interns. The main times when we socialised were during the training week in Birmingham and in the last two days of our internship in the London office.

I lived at home during my internship to save money both on accommodation and the commute. Socialising in London during the last two days was naturally more expensive but Reading and Birmingham were more affordable.

The nightlife was good but we didn't go out too much with members of the Reading team. As a local in Reading it was nice to have the opportunity to go out somewhere new in Birmingham and London.

Yes. During our internship we had the BDO national football tournament and our office away day at Wokefield Park.