Corporate Assistant Review
at Forvis Mazars
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Audit
London
Review Submitted: February 2025
Overall Rating
4.3 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
Auditing companies depending on your sector by working on audit files and working papers, querying the client, attending meetings, and more. It is normal to have whole team meetings as well as audit team meetings in order to review your progress. The work you complete feels meaningful and impactful and there is constant support and positive affirmation from the team.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I am thoroughly enjoying my time at this apprenticeship - everyone that I work with helps to foster a positive work environment and they look out for one another. The work that I have been set has been positively challenging, allowing me to problem solve and use what I have learnt prior to try and independently figure out what has happened. I have support systems around me for client work, exams, and general wellbeing.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Yes, I have been able to improve my technical skills using programs such as Microsoft Excel. My soft skills, such as communication and critical thinking, have vastly improved and I feel very competent within my team. I have also been able to broaden my understanding of audit work and the general contexts behind how and why we do things within our work.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
My apprenticeship is very well structured in all areas. We have been provided with a comprehensive timetable of all of our exams for a year, all client work is updated regularly through the firm's portal. As apprentices, we are given enough time between exams and do not feel overly pressured when it comes to our performance. We are also given a lot of resources to make sure we are performing.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Forvis Mazars offers many different forms of support. Each new joiner is given a people manager who regularly catches up with them to see what progress has been made and give encouragement and insight into areas to work on. There are many different emails we can contact if we seek support for a myriad of reasons. We are also given a range of benefits that positively impact us outside of work.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
I feel that Forvis Mazars does offer lots of different forms of support covering many different areas of the apprenticeship qualification. Forvis Mazars has an apprenticeship specific email to be used for queries in relation to our studies or exams, which many people - including myself - are happy with. Furthermore, the buddy system used usually places you with someone who has done the same exam structure that you will be going through. This allows you to talk more freely about how you feel about any exams and also get a general understanding of how difficult people find exams as well as any resources found to be the most useful. The firm also helps apprentices to achieve certain specified targets as per the training provider. By providing learning days and training that is applicable to our apprenticeships, we are able to use this to meet the hours required for the apprenticeship.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
2/5
I think that, due to the spread out nature of the exams, most of our learning and performance in terms of the day-to-day roles we perform comes organically as we take on more varied work. However, the training provided by Forvis Mazars that is sector specific is incredibly useful for understanding the contexts and niches of the work we perform as well as why it is done.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
Forvis Mazars offers a range of different extra-curriculars. There are many sports clubs, such as the football, badminton, rock-climbing, tennis, and more. There are also many networks, with the focus on encouraging diversity and inclusion with networks such as disAbility, Balance, REACH, and many different religious networks. Everyone in the firm is invited and encouraged to join a network and be involved in bringing awareness to topics of interest.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Forvis Mazars to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The biggest reason I have for recommending Forvis Mazars would be the work environment - it is incredibly positive and friendly, there are many different branches for support and guidance. Their commitment to their people is prevalent in many facets of the workplace. Working with the firm has been very enjoyable for me and many other people that I have spoken to and I feel cared for by the people that I work with.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Forvis Mazars?
When applying for Forvis Mazars, it is important to look at what makes them different from other accounting firms: do they offer different roles in different sectors? Do their ESG policies align with your personal beliefs? What reasons do you see for being able to work at this specific company? It is important to be able to have a rounded view of what you are looking for and what aspects of Forvis Mazars appeal to you.
