It was really a nice experiment to work in KPMG. They stick to their core values.Provide various facilities like transportation.The work life balance is also excellent.
Great place to launch a career, however has its drawbacks
I joined KPMG as an Apprentice rotating around various departments before joining Audit permanently.
They supported me through my AAT and ICAS qualifications. These created a great foundation of knowledge which I continued to build.
The people I worked with were great and very helpful, often while under time pressured and stressful conditions. Coaching is a large part of being part of an audit team to upskill junior colleagues.
KPMG works with some of the largest businesses in the country and there is exposure to a wide range of industries and clients.
One thing I wasn't warned about pre-joining was 'busy season' which typically spans January to April. This requires (unpaid) work outside of the 9 to 5, with roughly 5 hours per day overtime expected. This is expected and if you attempt to avoid this will negatively affect your appraisal. Audit's often are not resourced appropriately and there is a lack of people meaning a heavy workload.
It really was a 'work hard, play hard' environment with lots of social events taking place.
Despite the long hours, the company is really flexible about appointments/personal situations and encourages staff to give back through CSR.
Salaries and progression in audit are published and consistent, however at the time of working I did feel that we were being underpaid given experience developed and hours worked. I understand this has since been rectified.
I really enjoyed my time with KPMG and it provided a great starting place for m
Challenging work environment in which you grow significantly
KPMG is a great work place in which one can learn and grow quickly. On any given day, an audit associate's workload can include performing testwork over various audit areas, such as revenue, meeting with clients for follow-ups, preparing memos and excel tables for testworks, etc. The most difficult aspect of this job is balancing multiple projects or assignments and meeting deadlines. Specifically, the amount of work increases significantly during busy season and the difficult part is managing various projects simultaneously. The enjoyable part of the job is the flexibility to work in many different teams and meet and interact with numerous clients.
I have learned very much from my position as an audit associate at KPMG. First, I learned to work efficiently through prioritizing, staying organized, and multi-tasking. Secondly, I learned to communicate effectively with my supervisors and clients via emails, phone calls, and in-person. I also learned to be very detail-oriented, as majority of the testworks and financial statement tie-outs required me to be very detail-oriented. Lastly, I learned to work with different kinds of supervisors and teams, as I have worked with over 10 teams so far.
Unique environment providing instant exposure to a variety of clients
The working environment provides for numerous opportunities to gain exposure to upper level management as well as key accounting principles. Work days range from 8 hours during summer months to greater than 12 hours during the busy season (January through March). Each engagement is unique and provides a different working environment in relation to the size of teams and the frequency of manager presence. Associates are typically responsible for more routine accounting areas such cash, prepaids, accounts payable, fixed assets and investments. Testwork includes tests of operating effectiveness over the control environment as well as substantively testing year-end balances through trend analysis and/or selections of individual transactions. Challenges include completing all audit testwork within a short-period of time while staying in the parameters of the established budget. However, the job allows associates to communicate with staff accountants, controllers, and at times, CFO’s which quickly builds on networking and communication skills.
Points positifsinteraction with high performing individuals
Felt uncomfortable most all of the time around my coworkers and seniors. Felt judged if I had any doubts and saw some rolling eyes when it was literally my SECOND DAY working with client. Never had felt this miserable since highschool, I’m currently seeking therapy because of this job. Was called out multiple times for having no communication with my senior and when I did that person was not emphatic at ALL. In college campus they sell you the idea that they are all the worlds best professionals who are pro employee and when you get the job is the contrary. Could’ve lasted more if only my senior wasnt such a sarcastic and irritable human being. Oh and they have favoritism within the team you’re at.
Points positifsSaying that you work at a big 4 is a flex within society but the job is not. The lakehouse training
Points négatifsNo work job/flexibility, unorganized work structure was literally unassigned for a month and a half, if you suffer from stress this job will trigger it more, everything is work work work, seniors do not care about the sacrifices that you’ve done, like I said there’s favoritism.
Great for what it was - a solid career launching job
I started at KPMG with at least 25 other new college graduates from my university. I stayed 4 years, and was the last of those 25 to leave. The job is very intense and takes a LOT of your personal time - but you know that going in. I am and always will be extremely grateful for the opportunities KPMG offered me. I learned more in those 4 years than I can imagine and the fact that I did that hard work has opened many doors for me going forward. It gave other employers a clear message about my capabilities and a confidence in the training I received.
That being said, the lifestyle and pace was not sustainable for me (many nights working past midnight, many weekends at the office). The job worked well when I was single - but as a married woman and mother, other priorities took precedence (as they should have). My long term goal was always to work in non-profit, which I left KPMG to do.
Points positifsIncredible training, strong benefits, strong pay, huge plus to have on your resume
Points négatifsWorking hours, intense pressure to meet deadlines
KPMG is a great place for anyone in the accounting field to start their career. I love the way the auditing practice is structured. The learning environment was very conducive to the way I learn best- hands on.
Work life balance is a piece that KPMG needs to work on. Some teams embrace it wholeheartedly, while others completely forget about it... especially during "busy season". Typically, busy season lasts from the beginning of the year through February. However, this should not mean that during those two months, you have absolutely no life outside of work. Being asked to work 7 days a week for anywhere between 4-7 weeks at a time is, in my mind, too much to ask.
Also, I graduated with a Master's degree. However, associates who started at the same time I did with only a Bachelor's degree get paid the same as I do.
Points positifsteam of choice - an initiative where teams can make up "busy season" rules, such as 5 o'clock fridays, no eating lunch at your desk, etc.
Points négatifsteams who do not follow team of choice
Good company to work for if you are energetic, ready to learn many new skills and willinging to work more than the standard 35-40hr work week.
Arrived at the audit client site, planned daily work with the audit senior, requested support from client staff, prepared work papers, reported to audit manager on audit findings and work progression.
Learned how to audit areas of HR, Cash, Debt, AR, AP and Revenue.
Management was very supportive and motivating.
Co workers were fun to work with. Always cheerful and helpful even in times of heavy work load and pressure to meet deadlines. This is due mainly to the company's culture and the type of people that are hired.
Sometimes there is the need to work late for consecutive days at a time which leads to exhaustion and stress.
Interacting with client staff and learning the client business functions was definitely an enjoyable part of the job.
Points positifsCan gain valuable experience in a short time
Points négatifsFrequently long working days, and sometimes weekends
A high performing culture with many great coworkers.
In my current role I am a member of the program management team in the KPMG Business School - Audit. A typical day for me consists of creating project management documents and leading weekly status update calls. I work with strategic partners to ensure the successful delivery of training for the audit professionals within the firm. I have experience in working with various levels at the firm. The programs that I have managed range from campus new hires all the way up to partner.
I have learned so much by being in my current role as well as working at KPMG. Specifically, I have learned much about the audit function in addition to instructional design.
I find the most difficult aspect to my job is growth opportunity and as a result I find that KPMG loses a lot of high performers.
People are always stressed. The only thing that the company cares about is making their clients happy at the cost of their own employees slogging for endless hours. Not a good environment, the managers are selfish and not very people friendly. The pay is not that great as compared to the work put in. The top management is not very approachable
The HR didn’t even take exit interview because I guess they know what kind of reviews they will get.
No recreational activities for employees . Even if they do have things managers don’t let the team attend that. No Diwali celebrations , promotion parties or anything
Points positifsNothing that I remember of
Points négatifsExtreme long hours to the extend you’ll go mental probably, The management unfortunately doesn’t see its own employees as an asset, No over time pay or benefits for working long hours, The IT structure sucks, managers are not friendly and have unreal expectations
When you're busy, you're verrry busy, and when you're not, your teams don't know how to handle that, so they make you stay late anyways. You'll always be on at least 3 year-end audits every year, sometimes more. If your biggest client isn't super busy, resource management will just move you on to another team that is.
Not sure if it's just this office, but the culture just perpetuates treating anyone with a title lower than yours as terribly as possible, simply because "that's how you were treated when you were that level". Rather than trying to change this for new classes as they come in, the firm just lets this happen, because they know that turnover is high in public accounting.
Points positifsplenty of PTO (if you can get approval from teams), looks good on a resume, the firm pays for your CPA study materials
Points négatifslack of communication down to associates, pay is not nearly enough, very little work-life balance
Questions et réponses au sujet de l'entreprise KPMG
Quelle politique est appliquée par KPMG en matière de congés ? De combien de jours de congés disposez-vous par an ?
Posée le 21 févr. 2022
25 CP + 11 RTT
Réponse du 31 mars 2023
25
Réponse du 28 févr. 2023
Comment avez-vous obtenu votre premier entretien chez KPMG ?
Posée le 20 févr. 2018
J'ai postulé en ligne et on m'a téléphoné pour un premier entretien physique avec la RH.
Réponse du 11 mars 2022
Avec la directrice sur rdv
Réponse du 29 sept. 2020
Quelles sont les perspectives de carrière chez KPMG ?
Posée le 20 déc. 2017
Forte perspective d'évolution, à condition d'y mettre l'investissement attendu.
Evolution de poste + de salaire (mini 10% ) chaque année
Réponse du 17 janv. 2023
Pas de perspectives si vous n’êtes pas lèche … et si vous oubliez votre vie personnelle
Réponse du 19 nov. 2022
Comment décririez-vous lenvironnement de travail et la culture dentreprise chez KPMG ?
Posée le 16 oct. 2019
Équipe soudés et agréable
Réponse du 10 févr. 2022
Pas conviviable, aucun effort fourni pour intégrer les nouveaux arrivants
Réponse du 17 mai 2021
Quels conseils donneriez-vous à une personne qui doit passer un entretien chez KPMG ?
Posée le 24 sept. 2018
Rester sois même
Réponse du 21 nov. 2022
Réviser les écritures comptables, savoir se présenter
