Business Insight Week Review

Day 1: An introduction to PwC, where we were given our laptops, and went through some basics on how to behave and what to expect etc. as well as learning more about each specialty Day 2-4: Shadowing an associate, both at the client site and at the Embankment offices. Day 5: Handing back the laptops, and completing an activity to show how we can use our skills

I learnt about networking - creating and developing relationships with a variety of people. I also learnt how to do a SWOT analysis on pieces of data given to me. I also learnt more about Excel.

The first day was quite long and we spent it in one room, however the day was not boring as we were all excited about what we were about to take on. I also made some new friends at the table I was sitting. The shadowing part was not as interactive as I expected, although in hindsight I was only a work experience student and not an intern. I was able to do a few interesting things, such as sitting in on phone calls and helping make a powerpoint presentation, however it would have been nice to have a few more structured things to do. As you only get to work in one department/specialty, I would have liked to have visited another department to see how the two teams can work together. I enjoyed the last day as we got to work on a mock task - we also completed a SWOT analysis and had a nice last lunch. Overall I really enjoyed the program as I learnt a huge amount about the Professional Services industry, and PwC.

The program was well set up, and we felt accepted by the staff there who seemed friendly and helpful. On the first day we were sent into a big conference room for our introduction and activities for the day. We were also given a bag of notepads and pens etc. and were trusted with laptops for the week. All the employees I met and talked to were friendly and happy to give up some time to speak with me - I don't think anyone was annoyed that I was there asking so many questions.

The first and last day are very well structured. On the first there is an introduction and activities to complete. On the last there is the debriefing and a really interesting mock project to complete. The middle three days, where you shadow someone who works at PwC, were not as well organised as the rest. I had a feeling that I was just supposed to sit in a corner and watch what was going on for three days. My 'buddy' who I was shadowing was very friendly and he let me help with Excel and powerpoint tasks, and sit in on phone calls. I think we both would have benefited from a bit more structure in these days - perhaps by having to meet up with other work experience students and their buddies during the day, or something similar to break up the long day.

I was always able to email the support team at PwC which was very helpful during my application. They were always able to help and made a huge difference to the application process - if ever I had a question I would just send an email and receive a reply later that day.

As above (PwC was the training provider) I was always able to email the support team at PwC which was very helpful during my application. They were always able to help and made a huge difference to the application process - if ever I had a question I would just send an email and receive a reply later that day.

At PwC you get paid for the week you work. For me this came to about £250. You can also claim expenses for any travelling you did during the week. This was mainly for people who, for example, took the train from Reading into London on the first day. For a 5 day work experience program, earning this amount of money was amazing.

My buddy and the people I met often mentioned nights out and social events outside of work, but unfortunately I didn't get to go on any during my week. I was surprised to hear the range of opportunities available, from going bowling to a PwC-organised pantomime.

Yes

PwC is a very well respected firm, and a week of work experience with them looks excellent on my CV - it has given me a lot of skills, and a lot to talk about in interviews. I feel I have developed more as a person, and as an aspiring professional thanks to the five days I spent at PwC. In addiction to the skills I gained, I also got paid more per hour than I do at my part-time job!

During the online application process, the two written sections about why you want to work for PwC/why they should hire you are very important. This is where you will stand out from other people so make it good. The psychometric tests require a bit of practice (which is easily gained by practice tests) but aren't too hard. The phone interview is quite short; they say 15-20 minutes but it is more 5-10. Make sure you demonstrate knowledge of the industry as well as PwC. I spoke about the newspapers and blogs I read to keep up on the news, and how I first became interested in PwC because of an article I read.