RSM is a leading audit, tax and consulting adviser to mid-market business leaders, globally.

At RSM, our people are our future. Our early careers programmes challenge, encourage and reward you from day one. We value creativity, dynamism and energy, and want you to share our exacting standards. In return, you can count on us to be by your side every step of your journey.

We’re looking for ambitious school leavers from all backgrounds to grow with us and make an impact.

External audit – get the career you want at RSM

Our external audit school leaver apprenticeship programme will give you all the skills and support you need to unlock a future that’s packed with opportunities and new experiences. You’ll enjoy a fast-tracked business career that recognises your potential and rewards your ambition.

When you join our team, you’ll enjoy a powerful combination of on-the-job learning and structured training – not to mention an impressive client list to work with. You’ll discover a culture that nurtures individuality and an environment where everyone is supported to reach their potential. 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.

Within your first month you will be talking to our clients’ finance staff, within a year you will be delegating to other auditors in the team and within four years you will be leading audit teams on-site, challenging, questioning and learning from management teams.

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.

RSM’s school leaver apprenticeship in external audit will give you access to top quality career development. Alongside hands-on experience, you’ll 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. With our support, you’ll become a true trusted adviser to your clients in the future, in a role that will open doors for your future career.

When you join this team, we will help you balance your professional exams and training with your day-to-day audit work. You’ll work towards becoming a Chartered Accountant by completing a 5-year apprenticeship programme. This consists of the AAT qualification with the Association of Accounting Technicians for the first two years, followed by the ACA qualification with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) for the remaining three years.

If you are based in Scotland, you will complete the AAT first then the Chartered Accountancy (CA) qualification with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS).

If you are based in Ireland, you will complete the AAT first then the Chartered Accountancy (CA) qualification with Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI).

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 and are ready to challenge themselves to become a Chartered Accountant.

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).

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