External audit – start shaping your business career

Join our external audit team on a 12-month paid placement as part of your sandwich degree course and discover what it’s really like to work in business. Gain hands-on experience, build a network of contacts and get advice from our expert mentors. If you perform well, you could be given the chance to join one of our student training programmes that will help you kick-start your business career.

What does our external audit team do?

Our team carries out a detailed, risk-based review of a company’s financial records and control environment to form an opinion on whether the financial statements prepared by the directors are true and fair.

A robust audit challenges the financial operations of a company and improves the internal workings of the audited business. This is critical in today’s business world as the financial statements are one of only a small number of documents that a company will place into the public domain, and a quality audit gives confidence in what is delivered to all stakeholders.

What can you expect?

The depth of services and clients you’ll be exposed to will help you kick-start your career. You could be working with a wide variety of organisations, including large listed financial institutions, national retail chains, and high-profile charities, as well as some of our international clients that operate throughout the UK and beyond.

At RSM, you’ll be a key member of our team from day one. Our placement programme allows you to experience working in the audit team alongside current trainees and experienced members of the firm. This hands-on early experience is invaluable as you take the next steps in your career. You’ll also benefit from on-the-job training from more senior members of the team and gain access to our internal training courses that will help you develop in the role.

What we look for

We’re on the lookout for enthusiastic self-starters who are always up for a challenge. Audit is a technically demanding discipline, so we look for students who are quick to grasp new subjects. It’s important you also have confidence with numbers and great attention to detail.

You’ll often need to explain complex financial information, so you’ll need excellent written and verbal communication skills. What separates us from our competitors is the financial acumen we demonstrate and we expect that right from the start from our people.

If that sounds like you, we know you’ll enjoy being part of our team.

Entry requirements

At RSM, we don’t just look for good exam results. We think passion, personality and originality are just as important.

You will need:

• 112 UCAS (new tariff) across 3 A Levels or 104 (new tariff) across 4 Highers/Advanced Highers.
• A predicted honours degree.

UCAS changed their points system so under the old tariff it would be 280 or 260 points respectively.

Why RSM?

As one of the world’s largest networks of audit, tax and consulting firms, we’ll help you reach your full potential. You’ll work on an impressive client list – from multinational and growth-focused entrepreneurs to fashion icons. The variety of projects will challenge you every day, helping you expand your capabilities and grow professionally. And with access to a global team that spans more than 120 countries, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to broaden your horizons. Discover a culture that nurtures individuality and celebrates fresh thinking. It’s your career. Own it at RSM.