Trainee Apprentice Review

My daily role can be pretty interesting depending on the leniency of my role. At the moment I am in Central Government, and while it's not in my area of interest it has been interesting. I spend a lot of my time spending emails and updating databases. I also have to spend some time making phone calls and making reports. My role is an internal support role so I don't have any external responsibilities, but I will be moving to something different very soon.

I have learned many new skills. The firm provides lots of opportunities for learning or improving new skills, from training courses to e-learns online. I have learned a lot of new ways of using Excel and Powerpoint, but these are only the tip of the iceberg and I anticipate that I will be learning loads more very soon.

Like every job there are highs and lows and I feel as though I am moving to a section where I get more highs. I do enjoy my job and I like my colleagues, my goal is just to try and find apart of the firm that caters more to my interests and experiences. That way I have more to give back to the firm.

I do feel valued by the firm, on bad days I don't - it's hard with any job. I think that I am valued, my ego is more the problem than my colleagues. Sometimes I feel like more of an assistant than a team member. But I have escalated my feelings and I will be moving to a much better team. So yes I am valued and my opinions are taken very seriously.

My programme has started to bring in role reviews which is adding to the organisation and structure. It means that unsuitable roles are being closed down, which is very good when taking into account the welfare of the apprentices. There education provider is excellent and so far we have been having a really good experience when it comes to coursework and practical assessments.

We receive loads of support from our training provider, we are just getting into the exam preparation period so it's hard to know if my opinion will change! But so far we have been really lucky to have a wonderful assessor who really helps us with our practical work that we do within our roles.

PwC has been really good at providing support. They have made time available for us to do our college work and this is non negotiable to teams, so they can't tell us no. We also all get people managers who manage our growth within the firm and I can say I have had a very positive experience with my PM, he has really gone above and beyond to support me.

The salary is very good in terms of what is available for apprentices, but very bad in terms of London living costs. I live at home with my parents (who fortunately live in London) and I currently cannot afford to move out. Combining the cost of rent, bills and travel I might have enough money left over for a packet of crisps.

PwC provides loads of opportunities, without even trying you can receive a wide variety in your inbox. However with a bit of passion and some networking, the activities are endless. There are loads volunteering activities and events that you can take part in on the job. I have taken part in lots of school joiners events!

Yes

PwC has lots of opportunities and is a world renowned firm. It is definitely an accolade to have PwC on your CV. There is definitely a feeling passion and ambition from the people who work here and there is a lovely work environment. I feel supported by my superiors who run the programme and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to apply.

My advice would be to make sure you do your research. If you make it to final interview it can be very tough if you did not research the business or the market you have applied to. I would also suggest that it is very important to not let your nerves take over in the group assessment. Group assessments are very hard when everybody is too shy to talk!