Trainee Associate 1 Review

I'm a year 1 Trainee Associate in Tax and I sit in the Embankment Place office. I work within the Reward and Employment team and most of my work concerns executive compensation. Some tasks I complete on a daily basis are: data-mining for benchmarking projects, preparing sections of companies remuneration reports and doing analysis of companies' performance against financial metrics. I interact internally with all grades and am responsible for the delivery of the backing to projects and occasionally the papers themselves.

I have begun my studies for the ATT exams and have gained a broader understanding of the UK tax system through this. I have also developed my understanding of basic accounting principles through my work and have gained an understanding of UK and US governance regarding executive pay. My soft-skills have greatly developed through my apprenticeship and I'm now proficient in Microsoft office and have built up my ability to communicate professionally through emails. I've also greatly improved my leadership skills.

When I first applied for the apprenticeship I was not expecting the work I would be doing to be so interesting. The actual work itself is exciting and feels very current, given the current onus on pay fairness. My team is very friendly and easy to work with. The company culture is one that puts people first and there's a definite concern for wellbeing and happiness of employees. I would say that my expectations of my apprenticeship have been exceeded.

Recognition is a big thing at PwC and I definitely feel recognised. There are some managers I work with who will always say thank you, no matter how small your task was, and will always let you know when you've done a good job. There is definitely a culture of informal recognition, where if you've done a good job the work keeps coming in! I definitely feel valued

The programme is very structured, I would say almost too much. The induction event was a full week long and by the end I just wanted to get into the office. Team-specific training is always very useful when it happens but most training events are at a very high level so provide little help with day to day work. There is definitely support for study and colleagues are conscious to interfere with success in qualifications. Pastoral support is also excellent.

My training provider is Kaplan, and so far the only support I receive from them is at tutorials. The course is taught thoroughly and is done well, however there is supposedly more pastoral support that has never materialised.

Each apprentice has a buddy and a people manager who provide them with support on more personalised issues - such as exams/work life balance etc. This support system works well as the it gives you a personal contact who is always happy to listen and support. Support within the team is great as well and there is definitely a culture of learning - my questions have never gone unanswered.

The salary covers costs well. Living in London, expenses are always high and the salary package does well to reflect this. My only comment on salary is that apprentices are paid significantly less than graduates when in many instances they complete the same work. Occasionally I wonder if pay-parity for apprentices and graduates should be provided in instances like this. However I'm conscious not to complain as I earn a good salary and it does in fact cover my expenses.

There are plenty of social opportunities outside work and also opportunities to participate in volunteering days and training days.

Yes

PwC provide a good quality, honest school leaver programme that gives you a pathway into the world of professional services.

I would advise that people improve their soft skills. The firm don't expect great knowledge of the industry from new joiners, it would almost be impossible to expect that. The most important areas that a new applicant could demonstrate value is by showing that they are capable, have intuition and want to get involved.