Trainee Review

During PWC's business insight week I was exposed to so much. During my three days at Cardiff, I was able to chat with managers, specialists and my helpful buddies of course! My time at Cardiff was for 3 days, therefore I spent a day at tax, data analyst and assurance accordingly. When we first started at our Bristol office, we were entrusted with a laptop and were taught the strict compliance required at PWC.

During the week I developed my Excel skills, business acumen, and communication skills. My time spent at data analyst exposed me to the importance of Excel in accounting. My buddy, [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions], was able to explain the importance of each section of the spreadsheet. My business acumen was developed from talking to Ollie in deals, and [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] in tax. They explained to me how businesses operated to focus on the long-term by acquiring assets that would improve their overall service or product. My communication skills were developed through the group project. We were tasked with researching technology and how it can be used in schools. During our two hours on Friday, we were able to communicate effectively and produce a high quality presentation, with a cohesive script.

I was very impressed with how PWC operated and really enjoyed how friendly everyone was. The team members in Bristol I worked with were understanding, concise and was always looking out for whether I was enjoying my experience. The work at Cardiff, however, could have been organised to a higher extent as this resulted in me being unable to fully understand the field of assurance; due to my buddy being overwhelmed with a deadline prior. In conclusion PWC met my expectations, and excelled! I came in to understand what PWC's aims were, and am very happy with the outcome.

When we first began our induction at Bristol, we were greeted with cheery recruiters, a laptop and a clear aim for the week. The people at PWC really make it, which is why I personally felt valued. If I had wanted to have a chat with a specialist during my time there, I would be able to! The fact that everyone was willing to take time out of their schedule, when possible. When PWC gave us laptops, we understood the importance of our weeks tasks due to the cost- Invest in your staff, reap the rewards. During my time at data analyst, I was able to work on confidential projects, and was granted access. This gave me the full experience into what this sector had to offer, and I felt very grateful.

The overall structure of my programme was good. At Bristol we had a structured induction and a clear final day to organise our projects. I had a few issues at Cardiff, which began with my buddy on the first day not knowing I was assigned with him. He was in Bristol. Though I was able to meet with another member of staff who worked in assurance, Peter, that was able to show me the ropes and who organised multiple discussions with members of the office. My second day at Cardiff was mundane. This was due to my buddy being overwhelmed with a deadline, therefore she was unable to really involve me with the work. Albeit I was able to work with on a few pieces of the project, I didn't feel that it was sufficient. My final day at Cardiff involved a day at tax. I was able to be immersed in co-operate tax pieces, and chat with apprentices of what their prospects were.

The support network in PWC is communication. I felt comfortable with messaging our Bristol recruiter of my situation, if I felt there was an issue. The close proximity of working with co workers allowed for me to talk over any parts of my task that I was unable to complete. The people were always extremely friendly if you required help, and would be persistent in ensuring you understood what you were doing. We were also able to use google hangouts to communicate any updates to a task.

My buddies, who essentially gave me tasks, were extremely helpful and understanding. They were able to show me how to approach tasks, while giving me background information to why this task was important to the overall project. Their attitude to supporting me was extremely positive. The atmosphere at PWC was one of banding together to solve a problem, similarly to solving a puzzle piece. I personally felt very involved in the majority of time there, and would definitely go once more.

Our regional head office is Bristol. I chose to go for the Cardiff office, for the 3 days of my week.The Monday and Friday were spent at Bristol. The travel costs were compensated by using an online form, although travelling to Cardiff wasn't. Our salary was competitive, for our age bracket.

Although my stay with PWC for a week was short, I was able to understand what they had to offer outside of work. There are sports clubs that you can join and work together with a team to win games. There are volunteer initiatives within the local community that you can take part in. The Cardiff office was very centrally located and you would be able to reach anywhere within Cardiff after work. When I wasn't working I was developing ideas for our project, reading, and going to the gym.

Yes

The experience is unparalleled. Going into work in an office environment and understanding what there is in the world is extraordinary. PWC is great in that once you're established with the business, then you're able to really take root and grow as a person. If you had a long-term goal of working in a foreign country, then PWC has a scheme specifically tailored for that. The opportunities at PWC are vast, and great for students our age to really take on.

Really knuckle-down on the application process. I believe you were given 500~words on two question articles. Ensure that your explanation is concise, spell-checked and answers the question! The online test scores have a high impact on your overall success rate onto the course. Be prepared by practising the online questions, ensure you have a watch on hand so you don't run out of time. The telephone interview is crucial. Ensure you've read up on PWC's latest activities and how that affects the business work place. Once you've passed these stages then you're most likely onto the programme, enjoy!