Trainee Associate Review

I'm a Trainee Associate in Risk Assurance, which effectively means coming in at the lowest level of the Associates here at PwC. From day one you are trusted with confidential and important data, and initially you are guided by the managers above you towards what you must do with what you're given. Gradually, you learn common tasks, and often this may involve using functions like vlookups to find matching data and draw conclusions from it. You have interactions with your team, and some client interaction. Some engagement may throw you straight into client interaction, but you'll always have somebody to guide you and you don't feel lost! We work on individual 'jobs' which may last anywhere from two or three days to years on end, and you may dip in and out of them as required. As such, you get to work and interact with loads of different teams, and form relationships.

In studying for the ACA under the ICAEW and Kaplan, I have gained a lot of accounting knowledge as well as knowledge of taxation and law, which will only grow as my studies continue. Internal training is undertaken often to ensure we grasp the base concepts, and also to educate us on ethics and policies in the firm. Learning on the job is the main experience though; my IT skills have been boosted immeasurably.

I enjoy my work on a daily basis because of the variety and the possibility of becoming more and more experienced with certain tasks. The teams I've worked with are definitely the highlight, spending time with them out of work as well as on the job. The company has a very positive and ethical culture, which is a nice environment to be in, not mentioning our fancy new office up in Manchester! I struggle to enjoy the study as much, as it is very intense, and can take away from the enjoyment of the work.

Because we don't have a specified structure above us, i.e. a line manager, it's sometimes difficult to feel valued because we are used by one team then used by another then another etc and sometimes this can be impersonal. However, if you are then rebooked by a team or have a prolonged run with a team, you feel valued as you feel as though they have appreciated your work. Alos, the positivity translated through the 'Snapshot' feedback system is outstanding, as it really makes you realise how appreciated you are, and I know from personal experience that client's often also comment on us personally, giving extra assurance that you are doing a good job!

The program is structured well as we know our pathway and college is set up very clearly. We also are well aware of team structures so we know where we fit into the food chain! But this means that others recognise if you're junior, and so will need extra support. The People Manager also helps us feel comfortable and regular meetings add structure here too. This is all introduced in a very informative set of induction sessions, some of which are away in a resort down south.

Kaplan are brilliant at providing training to us, with very experienced tutors available at college sessions, and good online resources when we are at home or away. Also, we are able to ring Kaplan and have another tutor on the end of the phone any time, so that there is always support available if you feel stuck. They are very happy to help and you never feel like you are wasting their time.

Less support is received with regards to exams from PwC, and in fact it is sometimes more a hindrance with the speed at which we must learn and then take the exam for a subject, with the great pressure of only allowing one fail before we may no longer be able to continue at the firm. However, teams are sympathetic and may allow us to revise if we are struggling. Generally regarding support, the system is good, and you won't be able to count the amount of times in the first month that different people say "if there's any questions you have in your future at PwC, you can come to me". The People Manager offers support, and the general attitude of the firm emphasises our happiness with the work we are doing and whether it is contributing to how we want to develop.

I am lucky enough to live at home but do have a decent rail expense going out too, but the salary easily covers this. The package, including optional extras such as a pension scheme, rail pass, private dental etc, is competitive and is enough to keep us motivated. The location of Manchester is difficult property-wise, because it is so expensive to get on the ladder, but I feel that having financial backing from a stable job like this is a good start.

There are plenty of opportunities outside of work, there are monthly socials which you can take part in, table tennis tables, pool tables, and table football at the Manchester office, and informally organised socials which team members may put together, such as eating out, laser quest, bake off etc! There is a voluntary initiative whereby each employee gets (aroundabout) 6 days per year paid to do charity work, which can be used any way you like!

Yes

It is a good experience to start your working life with, with a competitive salary, very high levels of responsibility (in a good way) from the very start, and a great variety of work to do. Look at it this way, this is arguably the best company to work for in this industry, and accordingly it may well have the highest expectations of its people, but if that is too much, then there are so many opportunities that could present themselves if you were to go elsewhere and say you'd worked at such a highly respected company. But if you can keep up with the work and the expectations of you, then the rewards are huge, and it will not be something you regret.

Regarding the recruitment process, you guessed it, be yourself. No point in pretending to be anything when actually all the interviewer wants to know is whether they're going to be able to work with this person on a daily basis, so just do what you do! The online test process can be a little long, but again don't try and think 'what do they want me to say' just do what you would do. In terms of advice for the job: Don't be freaked out by the intensity of the first 4 weeks. After a few months you will get used to the speed of things and the uncertainty that can exist on a day to day basis. If you're unhappy doing a certain thing, tell your People Manager or Resourcing, they will always listen.