Audit Graduate Programme 2026 - St Albans

Why choose our Audit Graduate Programme?

Audit offers a varied and exciting career. You will have the opportunity to work across a range of sectors, conducting independent checks on companies’ financial situations and helping to advise on ways for them to operate more profitably. It’s a job in which you will always be learning about different types of businesses and developing your business skills. Audit also provides a stable and lucrative career path with fast progression and rewarding work.

We pride ourselves on learning and development for our trainees and have lots of structures in place to support you on your journey with us, for example trainee away days, a dedicated training manager and buddy as well as study leave to name just a few.

Training and development does not stop when you qualify and finish your audit graduate programme – we are committed to continually developing our staff. Regardless of whether you’re a trainee or a director using our ‘People Passport’ you are guaranteed a great investment in your future!

What will I be doing as an audit graduate?

Our audit graduate scheme is designed to support your learning and development. You will work as part of the audit team while studying for the ACA qualification. This can take you out of the office for weeks at a time which is a really nice bridge between studying for your degree and entering the world of work. The variety of clients we work with provides you with a well-rounded experience, and the structure of our teams allows you the opportunity to gain knowledge from, and exposure to, senior managers, directors and partners throughout your training and beyond.

Structure of our Audit Graduate Programme

Year 1 – You will have the opportunity to bring your problem-solving skills from higher education to our client’s challenges, starting with analysing bank payments and receipts, preparing control accounts, calculating prepayments and accruals, and updating fixed asset registers for additions and disposals, also calculating depreciation, and drafting basic financial statements as well as starting to apply basic principles of auditing working as part of a larger team, amongst other duties. During this time you will also build on your degree experience to develop the ability to identify differences or issues from information provided by clients and start to suggest solutions.

Year 2 – You will build on your experience gained from your first year of our audit graduate scheme, and learn new skills such as preparing more complex statutory accounts with accurate disclosures as required by company law, undertake small simple audits on your own, complete more complex audit testing and develop your problem solving and business skills. You will also have the opportunity to assist more junior trainees with queries and be a buddy to those just starting out.

Year 3 – Having built a good base level of knowledge from your first 2 years of our audit graduate programme, you will start to undertake audits as lead, taking responsibility for the whole job. You will be able to undertake auditing of complex areas like long-term contracts, intangible assets, and financial instruments. You will develop the ability to review the work of junior staff and ensure files are presented to a manager in a complete state, as well as drafting review points for the leading partner. You will also be able to prepare consolidated statutory financial statements.

At the end of your third year, you should complete your professional qualification and start to prepare for a role as an Assistant Manager.

If you think this is something you would be interested in, then apply!

As part of our culture, we take the time to review each application individually to reflect our values.

We really want to attract and retain individuals who share our Values

Together

The firm with the family feel. Express gratitude. Smile. Be humble and confident. Have fun.

Resilient

Change is imminent, and business is imperfect. Be open minded & agile. Assume positive intent and exercise the power of positive thinking.

Understanding

Each individual matters and will be heard and respected. Honesty, integrity, empathy and kindness are fundamental.

Supportive

We support what is important to you and show kindness in our behaviour to each other. We encourage each other to realise our potential.

Thrive!

We strive to be the best, innovate and always do exceptional work. That’s who we are and what our clients deserve.

Mercer & Hole is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Our people are our most valuable asset. We bring our life experiences, knowledge, creativity, and talents together at Mercer & Hole making it a unique place to work where all can safely thrive.