We reached out to the current group of Graduates in the KPMG Grad Programme from their varying degree disciplines and within different rotations, to ask them some burning questions, as requested by students. Thank you to the KPMG Grads for their time and effort. Let’s see what they have to say!

Alice

Alice
University of Technology Sydney
Bachelor of Communications (Advertising) & Bachelor of International Studies (China)

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

KPMG - People & Change Consultant (Management Consulting)

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

My consulting journey has led me to so many different opportunities and challenges. My first six months went by so quickly! Learning to adapt to a new environment, with new people and processes was tough but I never felt alone. I was able to reach out and rely on my coworkers and seniors to help me get my footing and it's allowed me to become the confident consultant I am today! Don't be afraid to ask questions, and remember that everyone goes through the same thing at the beginning!

Was your position with the KPMG Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

I was surprised to see how much I've grown in the role. At surface level, you're required to hit certain performance requirements but it goes so much deeper than that!
I've learnt so many things and new skills I thought I'd never need for the role, but it's absolutely made me more versatile and ready for new challenges.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

I've had to monitor certain events or parliamentary sittings outside of work hours but it's never made me lose sleep and I feel very lucky for that!
There have been circumstances where I've had to work over the weekend, but that was due to weekend business trips to cover specific events (and I got to see a new place so that's a bonus for me).

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

I'm currently consulting for the Department of Defence. My routine is quite cemented now, as we provide regular reporting and governance assistance. However, there are days when it gets a little hectic and times when we need to meet sudden deadlines, but it's always balanced out and never too bad.

Have you worked on any projects at KPMG?

Consulting for Defence, I've had the chance to work across bilateral initiatives and broader areas.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

Defence Network

What sort of support are you provided at KPMG?

I have a great team here and always being looked out for! My engagement leader checks in with me and guides me when I'm lost. I can always rely on them to hear me out and always feel like someone is looking out for my best interests.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

I think you need to have a great attitude towards work and tackling big challenges. Everyone feels lost but you need to rely on yourself first and foremost to sort things out and show that you're a valuable team member. Working in a team, everyone punches their weight and it makes the process so much better when we're all winning and doing great!
Don't be afraid to fail either! It's all about how you get back up and tackle the problem. You've got this!

What are the best perks or benefits at KPMG?

There's a great rewards program that gives you small perks for so many things including retail, insurance and even car deals.

Alice

Karan Rehill
Deakin University
Bachelor of Arts (Criminology)/Bachelor of Laws

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

KPMG Australia - Forensic Consulting

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

My first 6 months at KPMG has been full of exciting opportunities and gaining experience across the different service lines that we have in Forensics. What I have enjoyed the most is the variety of work that we are exposed to as graduates and the fact that no two days are the same! I have really enjoyed the culture at KPMG and the people that I have met along the way, everyone is really friendly and approachable and I have enjoyed meeting and collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds.

Was your position with the KPMG Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

Luckily I have only had pleasant surprises! I did the Vacation Program prior to starting as a graduate so that was a great a way to get a feel for the type of work we do in the team as well as the culture at KPMG. However, I have been surprised with how many opportunities there have been to get involved in, even at a graduate level. Whether that is through business development initiatives, working groups or other team initiatives, it's been really great to get such a wide range of exposure so early on in my career.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

I haven't had to work many late nights and Saturdays at all! There may be times when you might have to due to client deadlines but that is not often and overall I really enjoy the work-life balance at KPMG and the flexibility to work around any commitments that I have.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

My work varies day to day depending on the project that I am on and no two days in Forensics are the same! We have a range of service lines focusing on resolving disputes, restoring trust, managing reputation and fixing mistakes. The work involved in these service lines can vary and involves applying forensic accounting, investigation, intelligence, technology and industry skills to prevent and resolve commercial disputes, fraud, misconduct and breaches of regulations. Some of the common tasks that I am involved with on a day to day basis are attending team and client meetings, conducting research, reviewing client documents, searching for online intelligence, tracing bank payments and drafting proposals and reports.

Have you worked on any projects at KPMG?

I have worked primarily in the financial crime area which I have really enjoyed as I have a legal background and I enjoy working on regulatory and financial crime related issues. I have been involved in conducting Fraud Risk Reviews, and AML/CTF (Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing) reviews, remediation and conducting Financial Crime and Compliance and Conduct Risk Assessments to provide to AUSTRAC.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

We use a range of systems including but not limited to Relativity, Power BI, Analysts Notebook, Docusign, Insol and of course Teams!

What sort of support are you provided at KPMG?

We receive a range of ongoing support from KPMG, including flexible working options and we have an Employee Assistance Program for all employees. During lockdown (one of the many we have had in VIC!), I felt particularly supported by the firm. We were given one "Reset Day" each and KPMG provided us with "Tech Detox" every week which was essentially time to get away from the screen and log off early. I personally used this time to get outdoors and go for a walk which really helped me during lockdown.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

I think the most important skills to possess to succeed in the role of a Forensic Consultant would be people and communication skills since we are in a client facing role. Having the ability to be adaptable to change your approach/working style depending on the project that you are working on is also a valuable skill to have since the engagements we are involved with can vary significantly and can require flexibility when approaching a variety of issues. These skills would be excellent to posses.

What are the best perks or benefits at KPMG?

We receive a range of perks from KPMG, including wellbeing benefits and lifestyle benefits. I have recently signed up to the KPMG Social Club which I am really enjoying! The Social Club put together events throughout the year including Christmas functions, annual balls and movie nights. We have our annual trivia night coming up soon which is always an exciting one!

Jye

Jye
Macquarie University
Bachelor of Commerce (HR)

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

KPMG, Management Consulting - People and Change

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

I have loved it! I have enjoyed pretty much everything; but the learning experiences I have had, the incredible team and the amazing clients have been real highlights. Everyday is so different, the development opportunities are abundant and the problems we help solve for our clients are important and complex, so the challenge is always there.

Was your position with the KPMG Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

Yes, it is what I expected, however in consulting every day and every client has unique challenges that you and your team do not always know instantly how to approach. I think what surprised me was just how much everyone in my team wanted to know what I thought and my perspective and approach to client problems. As a grad you really do have the opportunity to make a real difference to our clients and the community from day one.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

I have never had to work weekends! And a far as length of day is concerned, it goes up and down- there are days which are long depending on the nature of the engagement but it is always balanced with a lighter work load in the days or weeks that follow those busier periods.

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Day to day my work varies considerably. Yesterday I presented to my clients executive committee, including the CEO and CFO where I discussed a piece of strategy work I was completing. I also regularly meet with senior executives from clients to better understand their business and the challenges they are facing, this is usually with a manager or partner who help guide the discussions. I also help prepare and execute client workshops where we deep dive into problems and solutions, from organisational design and operating model to industrial relations and transformation strategy. I spend allot of my day on Power BI and Power Point, KPMG and our clients like to guide decision making with data so Power BI and Excel are also critical to my job. On the side of client work, I also help with business development, where I collaborate to prepare proposals (solutions) for prospective clients. In addiotn to client work and business development, I am the NSW Co-Lead for Pride@KPMG where I help discuss LGBTQ+ inclusion policy and assist in organizing events and social activities across the firm.

Have you worked on any projects at KPMG?

I have worked on a number of exciting projects. I have helped a client develop their group industrial relations strategy, I have worked on a headline acquisition for a private equity client and most recently I have been engaged in driving a really complex operating model and technology transformation agenda for an ASX listed global industrial manufacturer.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

I use the full Microsoft 365 environment mostly- everything from Power BI and Teams to the office suite. I also use confluence from time to time. Importantly, we adapt to the technology our clients prefer to use- so always an opportunity to try something new.

What sort of support are you provided at KPMG?

Incredible support, from partners through to my peers, KPMG provide a number of mechanisms to facilitate my growth and learning. I have a professional development manager (PDM) who is incredible- she is an Associate Director and once every two weeks we catch up for an hour and discuss my goals and plan ways to achieve them. Of course, she is also always there to support me in any questions or problems I might have on the day to day as well.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

I think being very adaptable and comfortable working in ambiguity is probably the biggest one. We often don't know the solution to client problems straight away and comfort in navigating ambiguity is really important. A good degree of EQ is also required, it doesn't matter how great the solution you are thinking is, there is allot of influencing and communication in management consulting, so being able to adapt your work style is important. Problem solving is also important, but collaborative problem solving is the real key skill- working with others, both in your team and with clients, effectively to overcome challenges is the biggest value add. In my role in particular, I also find design thinking to be a real value add to my team and our clients- it drives an innovative agenda in strategy and solution design.

What are the best perks or benefits at KPMG?

The perks at KPMG are great- even with COVID the firm has made a conscious effort to engage us the best they can. In lieu of some of the graduate events and in-office events, we have received a thank-you bonus and a wellbeing bonus this year. In a post COVID world, travel will hopefully be back on the agenda as well.

Aarthi

Aarthi
University of Melbourne
Commerce - Accounting/Finance

Can you let us know what company you are working for and which area of the business you work in or which rotation you are currently in?

KPMG - Financial Risk Management

What was the first 6 months like? What have you really enjoyed?

The first 6 months were a big learning curve and you don't realise how much you've actually learned until you stop to think about it. I've enjoyed working with all the members of my team and getting exposure to the various different types of jobs my team is involved in.

Was your position with the KPMG Grad Programme as you expected it to be? Did anything take you by surprise?

Given I had done the vacationer program before starting, I had a pretty good idea of what the position would be. It was a bit of a surprise how independently we got to work and how much trust was placed in us even as grads to complete the tasks at hand.

Everyone is keen on maintaining work/life balance, with that in mind what is the longest day you have put it and have you worked weekends at all?

The longest I've had to work was probably only till 6.45ish and never on Saturdays!

On a day to day basis, what do you work on?

Day to day work depends on the type of job I'm on. The work my team does is largely split into credit or market risk. If it's a credit risk job, a days work might consist of model validation work like running code and validating output, interpreting regulatory standards and checking how well banks/financial institutions have complied with them and more. On market risk jobs, we do a lot of derivative valuations so we'll have to pull market data from Bloomberg/IRESS etc., run valuation models and write up memos detailing our findings. Of course there's also internal meetings and client meetings that happen regularly too.

Have you worked on any projects at KPMG?

I've worked on a fair few projects with major banks - usually model validation work to do with regulatory risk requirements. I've done a lot of derivative valuation work and modelling. I've also had the chance to be involved in jobs within the energy space, grain trading and other more niche fields.

What systems do you use for your role in the graduate programme?

In terms of software systems we use Microsoft Teams and Outlook. In my role, we use coding software such as R, SAS, VBA and more.

What sort of support are you provided at KPMG?

The firm as a whole has been very generous in times of COVID, giving us 5 extra days of personal leave and a Reset day to take off. My team also recently held a Wellness Day, where we partook in a bunch of activities members of the team ran. Generally, my team is exceedingly supportive and understanding and are always willing to listen/help if you are struggling with anything - work related or not.

What skills do you think you need to succeed in your role and do they differ from what you envisioned?

Definitely coding skills (at least a basic knowledge - even things like excel) help a lot in my role. Qualitative skills like interpretation and analytical/logical thinking are also key skills to have, given that not all the work we do is quant based. Soft skills are equally as important - things like communication and presentation skills are highly regarded, especially given my role as a Consultant.

What are the best perks or benefits at KPMG?

We get a weekly email reminder about the benefits we are offered in terms of discounts/offers with ample retailers. There's also the perk of being a part of a large organisation with the resources to get involved with and offer opportunity to participate in charitable work.