Audit Trainee Review

As an Audit Trainee, my role involved assisting in testing the financial statement information of the entities we audited. Most of the work consisted of testing sample items from various financial statement areas to ensure record accuracy. I also frequently visited client sites, engaged in client communication, and conducted stocktakes for the audited entities.

Yes, I was given partial autonomy in my work and treated as a full-time employee. Initially, the tasks weren't of the highest calibre, but as I showed progress and became more proficient, I was given increasingly challenging tasks, which I really enjoyed. There was always support available, so if I had any issues, I could resolve them seamlessly.

Absolutely. I've gained a lot of accounting knowledge, especially since my background is in law, which is unrelated to accounting. I've also developed communication, presentation, organisational, and time management skills, among others. BDO has been excellent in supporting me and providing a safe and encouraging environment for my growth.

I've learned a great deal. It started with induction, where we were introduced to our new roles, followed by a residential course for further training, and plenty of online training to get us up to speed. With each job, we received coaching from senior team members, and every audit engagement taught us something new. By taking initiative, you can accelerate your learning even more. Everyone was eager to help and answer questions. We also had people managers who were happy to assist with any issues, whether personal or work-related.

The culture and atmosphere can vary from office to office, but overall, it's centred around mutual respect. In our office, for example, it feels very homey and friendly. Everyone is happy to chat, accessible, and ready to help. There's no real divide between different levels of seniority our audit team all sits on one floor, and everyone interacts together. You can easily speak to senior colleagues like managers, directors, and partners, which I find a nice touch. The partners are very approachable and willing to help, which is quite unusual in the industry, especially compared to the Big Four.
There are plenty of social events outside of work, giving us the chance to hang out in a more relaxed setting. It's great because our office is full of nice people, making it enjoyable to be around them. Regarding charity and CSR, I've joined the charity and CSR team as an extra activity. Without sounding too biased, the office and firm as a whole dedicate a lot of effort to CSR. We conduct career talks and other events at schools and organise fundraising events for the charity Ickles Pickles.

Overall, it was a wonderful opportunity, and I'm grateful for it. I've grown so much over the past year as a person, student, and auditor. It was a truly enjoyable time, full of excitement and progression.

Yes