KPMG: Iain Marsh

I was really impressed with how my application was processed. There were a few rounds that I had to progress through, but there was always a great amount of information and support available to make sure that I knew what I needed to prepare. Also, I never had to wait long to find out if I had made it through to the next round, which made the process far less stressful. 

 

 

After graduating I worked for an engineering company where I helped in the development of their business processes. I decided that this was something that I would love to do on a larger scale. I ultimately chose KPMG because the P&T programme was exactly what I was looking for and I was very impressed with KPMG’s clear integrity when it came to people, clients and the community.

 

 

The people. The opportunities are fantastic, and the training and support are also brilliant, but ultimately it is the people you work with that are the best aspect of KPMG. 

 

 

I am currently working towards my CIMA qualification which is really well supported by KPMG. I’m also looking at other possible professional qualifications that are specific to the skills needed within the regional team, such as IT related qualifications.

 

 

For the first two or three years in the regional team, we get a good solid grounding in understanding IT environments by carrying out different types of IT controls audits. We get great exposure to a multitude of Financial Services clients, meaning that we can get a picture of what ‘best practice’ looks like. We travel around the UK quite a lot, going to where the clients are. We can also put ourselves forward for some of our international work, with opportunities to travel all around the world. 

 

 

Working with clients is essentially what we do. As graduates we generally spend more time with clients than in our own offices  which gives us a great opportunity to learn, develop and add value. We work with clients at all levels within their companies, from operational staff right up to the Executives. 

 

 

My main piece of advice for someone wanting to join the P&T Regional Programme is be prepared to travel during the week, as this is essential for the work we do. However, there is a big emphasis on work-life balance and one of the biggest perks is the flexibility to manage your own time. 

 

 

I studied Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering with Business Management and had no prior knowledge of accountancy, but didn’t have any problems at all. Whether you choose to do CIMA, ACA or CA, you can quickly get up to speed. The team is made up of people with a variety of different backgrounds and having an accountancy background is in no way a requirement of the work we do.

 

 

The social and CSR side of the team is brilliant. I’m currently in training for the KPMG P&T Sahara Desert Trek, raising money for our nominated charity, Barnardo’s. We have team CSR events where we all spend half a day on an organised volunteering event. And if you want to do more, you can use your 3.5 hour monthly CSR allowance. On the social side, we have organised socials that include everything from go-karting to wine tasting. 

 

 

The opportunities for development within KPMG are fantastic. Personal development is actively encouraged and nurtured. Whether it’s through one-to-one catch-ups with your performance manager, internal and external secondments, international placements or promotion within the same team, there is always a focus on helping and supporting everyone to progress.