Trainee Tax Associate Review

I am a tax associate working in global mobility within the tax department. My day to day roles includes preparation of tax returns, speaking with a multitude of clients with employees on secondment all around the world and discussing tax implications of their secondment with them.

Within my role I have been completing the ATT exams and have my final written papers in May 2017. The college tutoring is given by Kaplan and the courses are very relatable to my job role. We also completed a diploma in tax as well which included looking at many areas of the business which we may not have sight of as well as professional skills such as time management. I have also learnt so much on the job, my level of skills has enhanced so much over the past 2 years.

My programme has been very enjoyable, I get a lot of time to do my day to day role as well as time out for college and exams. Our exams are usually taken in May time so from my start date until November I usually spent time doing my job role and tax returns in the busy season and then started with days at college building up to my exam. Along with that we also got 1 diploma day per month to help with the completion of our diploma. What I would have enjoyed more is longer time out at college, I found it difficult to switch off from work and into my exams.

Internal recognition is great, each month we have team meetings which also include recognition awards in the form of vouchers, I have received 3 in the past two years and I feel that this is a great way to incentivise people. Appreciation from my team is also noticeable, receiving both written and verbal feedback is very helpful. I feel a much valued employee. Being the first and the only school leaver in my office I feel that they have taken to my new role very good.

We had a week induction before we started our office roles, explaining to us who our clients would be, who we would be working with and what we would be doing day to day. I had a tutor contact assigned to me at Kaplan who would ring me on a monthly basis and meet face to face every 12 weeks to discuss any concerns I had which was great to have somebody not inside PwC to speak with. I have a very supportive team which includes a people manager and buddy assigned to me who are very supportive of my role and my studies, having regular catch ups which was really useful. My team is relatively small and therefore tasks given to me are varied in levels of difficulty which really tests my skills and helps my development.

As mentioned above I got assigned a contact at Kaplan who I had regular catch ups with which I could speak to her about both work, studies and personal life. Her attitude was excellent and she also helped me with some concerns I had about college which was sorted quickly. When in college the tutors were very supportive and also offered outside support from college with phone numbers and email addresses. We also have access to content online, however this could be improved a little as it seems a little outdated.

My people manager and buddy and wider team are very supportive of my role, they understand what my apprenticeship is about and what I need to be doing. If I had any concerns and raised them it would be certain that I would get a response by the end of the day. I feel that possibly if there were more students my level in the small team this support may reduce.

My salary increased after year one of my apprenticeship and is confirmed to be increasing at the end of my 2 year programme. The amount I receive is very competitive as there is not many apprenticeship employers in the region I live in. I still live at home so the only costs I incur are daily travel costs, I commute 30 miles to work each day so go through a tank of fuel a week but the location of the office is very accessible. I feel that my salary meets my costs well, I can still afford to buy myself nice things every month and also go on holiday!

The firm always try to organise social events, whether it be with our smaller teams going for evening meals after work with the team social budget or our annual summer ball which I partake in organising. PwC I feel makes sure that the firm works to the best of their ability but also ensures that they are rewarded for all their hard work. One day a year is spent volunteering with the whole firm as we give back to the local community. We have an accessible free gym near the office which is also great which I like to go to when I am not working.

Yes

PwC is a great employer to work with, not just the great name on your CV but the extensive support they give you for your role and any commitments you may have. Working is very flexible and the salary is competitive, there are so many opportunities for what you want to do there is not something that will not suit you.

The application process is intense but not as intense as other employers such as Rolls-Royce or IBM. The application process included some online tests for numerical reasoning and verbal reasoning but there are open days at PwC to support this. I would recommend practicing these as much as you can. If you pass this stage there is an assessment day with a number of other applicants, where you will do these tests again with a number of other team and singular exercises. On these days it is important that you be yourself but also make sure you show what you can do as this is what they will assess you on. Finally there is an interview with a director/partner that you would be working closely with should you get your role applied for, which again is important for you to be yourself. This interview is all about you and giving examples of times you did things e.g working in a team. The on boarding process is very supportive, there is even a Facebook page where all successful applicants can get in touch with each other. I would love to have been told about the opportunities sooner!