Associate Review

I spent three months on placement as an associate auditor at PwC. The daily tasks included completing testing of different areas of the balance sheet and income statement for us to form an opinion of whether they are a true and fair representation. Most of the work is performed on client site as there is a lot of interaction with the finance team involved in the job.

I have developed my confidence in being a professional. Also I have developed in all areas that PwC assesses its employees on. These include relationships, business acumen, relationships, global acumen and technical capabilities. Due to rigorous nature of the tests we performed I have learned how to be more thorough and have better attention to detail.

The teams that I've worked with at PwC have been one of the best parts of the job. There is a good culture at the firm where people are very friendly and always happy to help you. Most in charges and managers can remember being in the same position as you, so they are understanding and there is no such thing as a stupid question.

Managers are generally quite busy and don't tend to give much one-to-one time. However, my people manager has been great and very welcoming and always available to answer any question, and even just to chat. As a very junior member of the team, there is still a good amount of coaching given.

The course has a great structure and gives a massive advantage over the average degree course. By the time I graduate I will have worked 3 busy seasons at PwC and will only be 1 year away from qualifying as a Chartered Accountant as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

At university we have a personal tutor assigned to us at the start of first year. I have also kept the same personal tutor in second year. We have had a few catch up meetings and have found it useful to know I have a contact who can help me out with any problems I have. Overall, there is every good support on the programme.

Managers are generally quite busy and don't tend to give much one-to-one time. However, my people manager has been great and very welcoming and always available to answer any question, and even just to chat. As a very junior member of the team, there is still a good amount of coaching given.

Business expenses can be claimed back via concur system, so you are not out of picking for having to travel to clients site - especially as they can sometimes be quite far from the city centre. PwC pays for my accommodation whilst I'm on placement, so there is no additional rent cost too. Also, the salary is quite generous as all overtime is now paid.

There are a few socials that are arranged outside of work and people will sometimes do things together as work colleagues. They contribute to the local community by donating to charity. For example the office will arrange fun runs and fundraisers that a lot of people in the office get involved with.

Yes

It has been a great opportunity to get experience on my CV, and also the speed at which you qualify as a Chartered Accountant is great. You get so much more experience and development that a normal degree/placement. Also, PwC is a good employer and they take the time to train you and are given responsibility early on.

I would advise that you familiarise yourself with the 5 PwC Professional characteristics. Then assess what strengths you have in each of these areas, and examples of times you have demonstrated these strengths, as this will be the basis of the interview process. Also it is important to be confident and don't panic.