RSM is a leading audit, tax and consulting adviser to the middle market, globally. With nearly 5,000 people operating from 30 locations across the UK, we have a culture of understanding what it means to deliver value, and to value what we do.

Our people are our future. It’s their skills, energy and ideas that allow us to achieve our goals and make a change where it matters most.

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.

At RSM, you’ll discover a culture that nurtures individuality and an environment where everyone is supported to reach their potential. If you perform well, you could be given the opportunity to join one of our Graduate training programmes that will help you kick-start your business career. With us, you’ll always be moving forward.

What does our external audit team do?

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

A robust audit challenges the operations of a business and improves the internal workings of the entity. 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?

At RSM, you’ll be a key member of our team from day one. You’ll get involved in client work very quickly, always working as part of larger teams, giving you ownership of tasks within those teams swiftly and preparing you to lead those teams in the future.

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.

Within your first month you will be talking to our clients’ finance staff and within the year you will be delegating to other auditors in the team.

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 companies, national retail chains, and high-profile charities, as well as some of our international clients that operate throughout the UK and beyond.

What we look for

We’re on the lookout for enthusiastic self-starters who are always up for a challenge and want to learn. Audit is a technically demanding discipline, so we look for students who are quick to grasp new subjects. You may have confidence with numbers, be an excellent team player, or be inquisitive of complicated issues. If you don’t, we will look to develop these skills in you. 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 points across 3 A Levels or an equivalent level 3 qualification, or 104 UCAS points across 4 Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers or Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher Level)

and;

• A predicted honours degree

Please note, RSM does not accept General Studies, AS levels or the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).