KPMG or CASS?

Hey guys!

I've received an offer for an Audit apprenticeship at KPMG which is 5 years and gives me a Level 7 ACA or CA Qualification. However, I've also received offers from QMUL and Cass Business School for Business Management. My end goal is to just be financially comfortable and have a nice, reputable job. Which option should I take?

Reply 1

K1NE

Original post by studentkxsh

Hey,

Congrats on your offers.

In terms of your question it depends on what you want to do. If you want to be an accountant, then the apprenticeship could be a good route to go down. This saves you Uni debt and KPMG is a nice company to have on your CV.

If you're unsure about being an accountant, then you could always go to university and complete your degree and then come back and revisit the idea of being an accountant after uni.

It sounds like you're unsure what you want to do. Accountancy is a reputable and stable job but of course everyone has different interests and therefore it isn't a career for everyone. Chartered Accountancy qualifications are valued in many other corporate fields too but I'm not sure how easy it would be to switch without a degree in competitive fields, such as IB or Consultancy.

Your degree in Business Management sounds like it could lead to a careers in other fields such as Marketing/Project management/Consultancy etc.. if at the end of your degree you find out that accountancy is something you do not wish to pursue.

Just keep in mind if you do a degree it is a big investment and those loans and interest payments you will be paying for quite a while.

Reply 2

studentkxsh

Original post by K1NE

Hi K1NE,

Apologies for the late reply. My main concern regarding an apprenticeship was that you end up with no degree. However, KPMG offer a Level 7 AAT Professional Diploma which is equivalent to a Masters degree. The lack of access to previous KPMG apprentices is concerning since I can't actually hear, first hand, how it truly is. The salary and the reputation of KPMG is very enticing. I didn't have the best GCSE grades - a mix of 6s and 5s with a 7 in Maths and 8 in Eng. Business Management also has a cloud of negativity with it, being labelled as a 'soft' degree. Now I know it's all subjective and etc, but an accounting degree trumps Business Management objectively. Furthermore, the ongoing criticism of the degree has led me to lean towards KPMG. Yet, honestly I don't know. I've never thought of accounting yet it seems really fun, going to Canary Wharf all that. I've thought of being a stockbroker or IB too, thinking ive got a better chance with the apprenticeship than a degree.

What'd you think? Personally, if you were in my position, what would you go for? I do Business, Eng Lit and Psychology as A Levels and I was predicted A*AA

Reply 3

HoldThisL

Original post by studentkxsh

Personally, if you were in my position, what would you go for?

my choice wouldn't be very relevant

but if i liked accounting i'd 100% take the kpmg offer because: it's a job, it's a qualification and you're payed rather than paying

equally, im not sure how much i rate business management as a degree

Reply 4

K1NE

Original post by studentkxsh

Hi,

Apologies for the delayed response.

Have you tried speaking to current KPMG trainees on the apprenticeship scheme via LinkedIn ? I think this would be the easiest and quickest way to maybe get in touch with some people currently on the scheme. Of course just be careful contacting people you may not know but LinkedIn is supposed to be used for networking professionally.

In terms of the degree. It sounds like a good option. I'm sure you will find some people who will have certain opinions about degrees and qualification. It's all pretty irrelevant because how good someone is an employee and colleague is down to that individual. A degree from Queen Mary in Business Management won't be looked down upon if you wanted to work in accounting. Look at the modules being taught on the course ? Do they sound interesting to you ? Do you know anyone that has done the degree ? What was their experience ? What different types of careers did the degree lead to and do you find any of those careers interesting ? I think these are all questions to think about.

The KPMG option sounds good in the sense you're paid a salary and you're doing a solid professional qualification at a reputable company, which will add value to your CV and to you as a professional. There's lots to learn in the ACA that will be valuable knowledge in your professional and personal life. Also means there won't be any uni debt to worry about. You could always go to university at some point later if you wanted to pursue a different path ? I think if you start the degree and realise it isn't for you, those tuition fees or any loans you have taken out will need to be paid back.

Ultimately, what I would do is to think about what deep down feels right to me. Do you really want to get a degree right now ? Or do you want to try this apprenticeship and see how it goes ? I know a lot of people who find Audit a not so interesting area to work in. So if you do go down the KPMG route, think about long term what KPMG can offer for a career in different departments. A lot of employers value Big 4 trainees with ACA's, so there will be lots of opportunities after qualifying.

Apologies if I've rambled abit. I hope this helps. Both are great options in my opinion.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 5

ajj2000

Original post by studentkxsh

The lack of access to previous KPMG apprentices is concerning since I can't actually hear, first hand, how it truly is.

Business Management also has a cloud of negativity with it, being labelled as a 'soft' degree. Now I know it's all subjective and etc, but an accounting degree trumps Business Management objectively. Furthermore, the ongoing criticism of the degree has led me to lean towards KPMG.

There are plenty of people who have done / are doing big 4 apprenticeships on these forums. Have you thought about sending PMs to all you can find to see what their experience has been?

Business management degrees are really not seen as better or worse than accounting degrees. Neither are anything like as valuable as being a qualified CA.

KPMG or CASS?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you