Mikkel Villebro
How did you start at the KPMG Graduate Programme? Where did you first hear about it?
I started looking for a graduate programme when I finished my education and applied for a few different graduate positions. I had a friend working at KPMG – and he was the reason I started to look into the company. I found a graduate programme at KPMG which really suited me and matched with what I wanted to do with my education.
➔ Hiring! KPMG are hiring graduates right now. Click here for more details on the programme.
I started as part of the KPMG Graduate Programme as an IT Consultant in September 2021 in the Enterprise Service Management department. In Enterprise Service Management, we work on IT projects where we tailor end-to-end solutions for the internal operations of organizations. We lift the employee experience by helping them automate repetitive or redundant tasks with a system called ServiceNow. The system also helps organizations make tasks transparent, allowing everyone in the process to track their progress and make it easier to pass them on to others.
The KPMG Graduate Programme is a one-year programme, but in my department, we have added another year to ensure we have the right ServiceNow and Enterprise Service Management skills, skills you will not learn in university. At KPMG, we don’t have rotations between the different departments. However, you will have different tasks in your own department. You will be challenged with, for instance, business development tasks, proposals, developing applications, and doing workshops.
I think a graduate programme is a really good way to start utilizing your skills - and, at the same time, you are challenged with a lot of different things you need to learn along the way. I rather want to be able to do all the tasks than start specializing in one direction. We will be working for many years, and I find it important to never stop learning and to keep an open mind to find out if this is the direction I want to go in.
What attracted you to KPMG?
What attracted me to KPMG is the chance to tailor the solutions with the clients, working together with the clients, and not doing pure programming. Entering service management, where you improve internal operations and make things more efficient, is something that really suited my personality.
Why did you want to join a graduate programme?
I think a graduate programme is a really good way to start utilizing your skills – and, at the same time, you are challenged with a lot of different things you need to learn along the way. I rather want to be able to do all the tasks than start specializing in one direction. We will be working for many years, and I find it important to never stop learning and to keep an open mind to find out if this is the direction I want to go in. Maybe someday, I’d like to do something different – and it would be a shame if you are exceptionally good at something and you are not able to change direction. With the rapid IT development you need to be able to do that.
What has surprised you the most about working at KPMG?
At first, I was hesitant about becoming a consultant because of the negative image the consulting work environment has and I was unsure if this environment would fit me. I do not live to just work, but see my job as a means to enable me to do things I am passionate about.
However, the culture at KPMG is very nice with a large focus on not only work-life balance, but your life balance, if your life is in harmony. I appreciate working only 37 hours a week without being pushed to work 50-80 hours. This would not comply with the way I like to live my life. I’ve been really surprised with how well this balance is actually emphasized at KPMG, and how much it fits into the culture and values of KPMG.
I’ve also been positively surprised by the individual focus on graduates. I feel KPMG acknowledges you and wants you to develop. I like that I can talk to managers about how I am doing personally, but also how my professional development is going. It is a great working environment at KPMG, and many things I expected from the consulting world are simply not true.
What has been your biggest challenge as a graduate?
I think the biggest challenge for me is having to wear a shirt and trousers every day (laughs).
Let’s be serious again, it has been a big challenge to try not to compare your pace with others. I was hired along with seven other graduates in my department, and approximately 80 graduates started on the same day. At first, you’re wondering if you should have a faster pace than others. But it is important that you do not measure yourself with the other graduates. Everyone has a completely different background and everyday life. It is a huge step to realize that.
You also need to match your own expectations with yourself. If you try to become better at something too quick, you’ll skip ahead and do the worst possible thing – either you burn out, or you miss important steps along the way. At KPMG, they let you take the steps at your own pace to ensure that you are not going to be burned out along the way.
At KPMG, there is a large focus on not only work-life balance, but your life balance, if your life is in harmony. I've been really surprised with how well this balance is actually emphasized at KPMG, and how much it fits into the culture and values of KPMG.
How do you see your future with KPMG?
I like the responsibility and independence I’ve been trusted with. I feel very comfortable in this non-hierarchical structure. I get included – KPMG is good at engaging the new graduates. I really believe I can learn a lot here. I’m confident that my technical skills are spot-on, and I came here to learn about business and business development.
When I first started as a consultant, I often got the question whether I want to pursue becoming a partner. It might be interesting one day, but right now, I think one step at a time. You never know what happens in the coming years, and who knows I would like to make a change. However, I do not have that feeling and I think I will stay at KPMG for quite a while!
Do you have any advice for other applicants?
I think it’s important that you stay true to yourself. You should respect your colleagues because they come with different backgrounds and experiences. Among the new graduates in my department, we have four different nationalities, so being open and respectful to people’s differences is very important.
One thing that helped me a lot is to accept you’re not the smartest in the room. As soon as I started to acknowledge and admit that I don’t know something, both to myself and colleagues, I started to learn faster. It enabled me to ask more questions. Whenever I see someone else who knows something that I don’t know, I just go ahead and ask about it. It’s faster than trying to figure it out on my own.
Lastly, you compete with other consultancies. Don’t compete internally in your own company in who is progressing or learning faster. You’re there to work together.
➔ Hiring! KPMG are hiring graduates right now. Click here for more details on the programme.
About KPMG:
KPMG is a global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services that operates in 145 countries and employs over 236 thousand people. KPMG Denmark combines profound local insight into Denmark and the Nordics with a strong global perspective, delivering value and impactful results to their clients.
