Jenni Prince completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in December 2005 and a degree in Law in December 2006 at the University of Queensland. She is working in the middle-market area at KPMG Australia after having the unusual experience of being offered two internships with KPMG.
How did you manage to get two internships?
I’m not sure: I’m a bit of an anomaly, but it has been extremely helpful, and led to my being offered a job here. Internships are a popular feeder program for graduate placement, so I was very lucky to have two.
What was the first internship?
It was over the summer of 2003-04 and lasted for a month. I was in the audit division. The length of time depends on the department you are in.
And the second one?
That was for two months over the following summer and that time I was in the division I now work in. The application process is as rigorous as for graduates. There is an initial online application and then an HR interview. The second interview is with a KPMG partner or senior manager from the department you will be working in. The whole process takes less than a month.
What happened then?
After my second internship, KPMG offered me part-time work for the remainder of my studies. Internships are usually offered in your penultimate year, but as I was also completing a law degree, my completion date was still two years off. I studied full-time for those two years and worked three days a week for KPMG.
What does the future hold?
I will begin my CA, which will involve another 18 months study and then I will do a tax specialization course, which will utilize both my degrees. There is also always the opportunity with KPMG to have an overseas placement. These can be short or long term, and can be anywhere in the world. KPMG also offers all long-standing staff a \\\\"career-break\\\\" year when they can go traveling, or work for a different company, but have their job guaranteed when they come back. One of the joys of working for a big firm is programmes like this to look after their people.
Jenni’s tips:
- In your online application, show a bit of flair, show a bit of your personality so the company has a sense of you.
- Detail your work experience, no matter what it is. You might not think working for MacDonald’s is worth mentioning, but it tells the company that you can work in a team and stick with a job.
- Always list your extra-curricular interests and activities because that also indicates your ability to work with people and become involved in things.
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