Accountancy is a competitive sector and being able to demonstrate that you have relevant work experience will be a great advantage. Various opportunities exist for undergraduates. For example, many large financial organisations offer insight days, paid summer internships and placements.
Employers often invite students who have impressed them on insight days back to do a summer internship or placement year. A successful internship or placement may then lead to a place on a graduate scheme.
Use CareerHub to search for summer internships and placements in accountancy
Insight days are usually offered to first years from any discipline and give students an inside view of a company and its work. They generally run during the Easter break and can last from 1-5 days. They are usually open to students from any degree discipline. Applications open from winter onwards.
Here are some of the insight days available:
A placement year at a financial firm is an excellent way to gain practical accounting work experience.
Here is a sample of companies that offer placements:
Summer internships offer the chance to experience paid work at an organisation for 6-12 weeks during the summer break. These are usually offered to penultimate year students from any discipline. Applications for summer internships open from the autumn term onwards.
Here are some of the internships on offer:
Competitions are an excellent opportunity to develop your skills, work with your peers and receive mentoring or advice from professionals in the field: