Student Careers

As a trainee, you are looking for the best opportunity to grow and to learn – and BDO offers many opportunities to do just that. From the first year of your contract you will work on a range of clients across different industries and will be exposed to all you need to know to ensure you emerge at the end as a well-rounded professional.

BDO is always on the look-out for hard working individuals with inquiring minds who want to become a CA(SA) – and we’d love to meet YOU. That's why you'll find us at a range of school and varsity campuses in South Africa. Look for BDO during your orientation week, campus recruitment days or school career fair and keep an eye on our website for all the dates. If your institution is not on our list, please let us know and we'll try and make a plan to come and visit. Information is also available at your careers office.

Our Vacation Work Programme is the ideal opportunity to gain first-hand experience of what it means to be a CA(SA) and to learn about the world of work. First and second year CA(SA) university students spend two days at BDO working with our teams, from our trainees to our Audit Managers, to learn more about what to expect when you join the working world.

Once you have completed your degree, it is time to take the next step on your path towards becoming a CA(SA) - your training contract. A training contract is signed with an auditing firm or registered training firm (as approved by SAICA) to complete your qualification. It’s best to research a number of firms before you make a decision as they vary widely in culture and trainee experience.

At BDO we also offer specialised traineeships for those wanting practical experience in Tax, Risk Advisory, Wealth Advisory and other professional careers.

BDO offers bursaries to those students intending to qualify as a CA(SA). They range from full bursaries to partial bursaries covering tuition and books. BDO is also a funder to Thuthuka, SAICA’s bursary fund for previously disadvantaged students. To find out more about how you can benefit from this particular bursary fund, visit www.saica.co.za.

At BDO we make it our business to help you grow – your career as well as personally. Developing strong relationships with colleagues, clients, service providers, regulators and other stakeholders, is at the forefront of our exceptional client service approach. Many of our clients and staff have been with BDO in excess of 10 years – testimony to the level of personal attention and care we give to developing and nurturing relationships.

We believe that ‘play’ is just as important as ‘work’ – with many opportunities to participate in sporting, charity and other social events. A number of internal programmes drive our unique culture, which can be felt as soon as you visit for your first interview.