Class of 2021 graduate Amina Phiri, now works as a Graduate Auditor at KPMG. We asked Amina what her role involves, how she landed it and her advice for students.
What advice do you have for final-year ULMS students who will soon become new graduates?
In my opinion, the transition was a bit nerve-racking, only because you’re so used to the idea of university life and studying that starting a new job seems like a big step.
However, it was a very exciting time and after receiving my offer I was invited to events over Teams/Zoom to get to know the company better, and was assigned a buddy during the summer who I was able to ask many questions about the role and that really helped to put my mind at ease.
I’d advise you to not really have any preconceived expectations of yourself for when you start a job - don’t expect yourself to be perfect and to never make a mistake as this will happen and that’s okay, just learn from it.
Give yourself a fresh start and time to get to grips with the role at your own pace. Ask many questions no matter how big or small, that’s how I’ve been able to learn and grow.
What does your role as a Graduate Auditor involve?
My work is split between auditing and studying. In terms of work, depending on what stage the audit is up to for a particular audited entity, I am involved in completing documents known as work papers relating to the sample areas we are controlling or substantive testing.
For example, trade receivables, intangible assets, and revenue. This is all done to test if the client has prepared their accounts in a true and fair manner. The other side of my work involves studying towards my ACA qualification, a total of 15 must be passed over the 3-year graduate programme.
What was KPMG’s application process like? Do you have any pointers for others looking to apply there?
The application process involves the following stages:
- Stage 1: Your application
- Stage 2: Transforming Small Businesses
- Stage 3: Delivering Outcomes
- Stage 4: Virtual LaunchPad
You can find more information on each stage here.
Do your research! I cannot stress this enough - it is important that you know the role and company you are applying for. This will really set you apart when you do your interview at the assessment centre.
Acquire bespoke knowledge - I would try to get in contact with people who work within the company you’re applying for e.g. on LinkedIn, and see if you can set up a Zoom/Teams call with them to see if they can provide you with further knowledge on the company/role beyond that available on the website.
So when you have an interview you can say “Say this person mentioned this about the role” and “I like your company because I heard that in the office you do this” - this will show that you go beyond standard textbook answers.
How did your time as a student prepare you for your current role?
With regard to my degree (BA Business Economics), my accounting and finance modules provided me with the background knowledge needed for my role in terms of understanding items in financial accounts and my ACA exams.
However, if you do not have an accounting or finance background, this will not put you at a disadvantage for the ACA exams as the courses are taught like you are learning the material for the first time. Also, my time as a Peer Mentor has really set me up to be a Buddy for the new graduates who will be joining in September.
As well as getting involved in ULMS volunteering e.g., my Course Ambassador and Peer Mentor roles, I signed up for Bright Network’s internships. This is where I was able to find 3-day, 5-day and weekly internships that I spread all throughout the summer before going back for my third year of university to add to my CV.
If students do not have a long summer internship, going for the short ones are just as helpful because a lot of companies partner with the Bright Network and from what I remember, if you sign up you might get to skip through certain stages in the application process.