As part of my curriculum during the final year of my Master’s in Law and Economics, I was required to do an internship in an area that was both legal and economic. Evidently, Transfer Pricing immediately came to my mind. As a 21-year-old, I didn’t know much about the corporate world and felt a bit uncomfortable applying for internships at different companies. Around that time, KPMG organized an open day, where we could talk to people from various departments. After a very easy-going and surprisingly relaxed talk with one of the partners from the Transfer Pricing department, I was convinced that I wanted to do my internship at KPMG. The prejudices that I had about Big 4 companies being very reserved and formal environments disappeared completely.
The internship itself was also a very enjoyable experience. Whenever I had a question, I could ask my buddy or other colleagues, who were very patient with me. The team welcomed me with open arms, and I was even invited to the annual Local Office Training in Bruges, which was a very pleasant experience. We took part in training sessions during the day and in the evening there was a dinner, followed by a party, after which we stayed in a hotel in Bruges. The fact that I, as an intern, was allowed to participate in this event made me feel like I belonged at KPMG. I also felt included because my colleagues invited me to social events like having a drink or going laser shooting.
After my internship, I was offered a job as a Junior Tax Adviser. Since I didn’t feel completely ready to start working and I wanted to study for an additional year, I didn’t accept the offer right away. However, we agreed that I would do a student job during my last year at university, allowing me to continue learning about Transfer Pricing and stay connected with KPMG. Overall, the past two years at KPMG have been a very positive adventure, and that’s the reason why I will begin as a Junior Tax Adviser this September within the Transfer Pricing team at KPMG’s headquarters in Zaventem.
