Working at KPMG

What are my interests? What are my ambitions? And with which company do I click? Every student asks these questions during their time at university. However, it appears that most university students find it difficult to answer these questions, which makes sense! It is mandatory to do an internship as a HBO student, but at the university you have to arrange it yourself. As a recent graduate, I will tell you about my student days and I will give tips to help you to get in touch with your future employer more easily.

I am Laurens Mesuere, 24 years old and originally I come from Sluis (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen). After high school I moved to the student city of Brabant, Tilburg. Here, I have completed my Bachelor of Business Economics and over a month ago, I also completed my MSc Accountancy.  During my study I co-organized a Studytour and did a board year at Asset l Accounting & Finance, which I considered to be a unique experience and I would recommend it to everyone. The past six months I had only to complete my MSc thesis, which I wrote at KPMG in Eindhoven. Now I work at KPMG as a trainee and I would like to tell you about my first experiences.

On an early Tuesday morning. I drove to a client, where I was scheduled for a total of two weeks to assist on the Audit. Since January, the other team-members were already working for this corporate which has the largest market share in its sector. The deadline for signing the financial statement was that Tuesday afternoon. The team had been working days and nights to make the deadline. At 17.30 the financial statement was signed so we raised our glasses and celebrated this team achievement.

Work hard, play hard is the motto of the team. As an Accountancy Trainee, KPMG offers you all the opportunities that exist in the field. Diversity is one of the key words. Customers, large and small, listed or non-profit, they are all included in your workload. Every customer you work for also means working in a different KPMG team. The team consists of several functions and levels of experience. Teambuilding is a key focus within KPMG. Throughout the year, different events are organized, such as holidays and a ski trip, with more than 100 KPMG employees joining. Also, KPMG celebrates its 100th anniversary this year!

The teams within KPMG are young and ambitious. From what I have experienced the last months is that you and your team always work for one goal. Trainee or partner, everyone helps each other in his/ her duties and everyone is very accessible. This contributes to the high learning curve, which is also necessary in the fields KPMG operates. In a short time, you will learn a lot about different companies and processes. It is a look behind the scenes at the financial administration of companies. For this reason, I have deliberately chosen for this field. In September I will begin the post-Master Accountancy with the aim to achieve the prestigious RA title in a few years.

The choice for your ideal employer is not always easy, because of the many different companies you can choose from. You really get to know the company when you actually work at it. Start early with orientation and find a company that matches your wishes. During my time at Asset l Accounting & Finance I got the opportunity to get in touch with many companies in a short time. You can help yourself in your orientation by, for example by participating in career events, such as Inhouse Days, a Financial Business Dinner or the Economic Business Weeks. It is up to you. My advice:

“Expand your horizon, control your future!”