Trainee Associate Review

I currently work within the Risk Assurance business sector of PwC where my daily activities range depending on the type of client I am on. Its rare to have days working for PwC that are all the same. I could be in the office one day and on client site another day.

Through the training provided I have learnt a lot more academically speaking. I've now studied a wider range of subjects regarding accounting. Aside from the academics I have learnt developed my skills in relationship building which is vital in my job as it is very client facing opposed to most jobs.

The programme is highly beneficial and enjoyable. The firm is great and make you feel valued. There are a lot of perks to working for PwC. The one thing i'm not a huge fan of is the pressure of exams that is put on you. You do have to pass all your exams to retain your job which can be very daunting.

Its very well structured. We are told way in advance when we are in college and when our exams will be held which gives us plenty of warning and time to revise. The actual work isnt as structured as it depends on the time of the year for how busy the firm is so its normal to get last minute work.

We are all allocated a buddy who is someone a year above us who is on the same path as us, who helps us with any daily queries we have. We also all have 'Career Coaches' who are effectively managers that review our progress regularly and are their for us to escalate any issues.

Our training provider provides us with a fair amount of support. They provide us with all the books that we need to study as well as a workbook they create themselves which contains consolidated notes. There is a website we all have access to that allows us to contact tutors whenever we require as well

The qualification is very broad. Some parts of the qualification are vital to our daily jobs such as the Accounting and Assurance exams that are part of the ACA as most of our work is based on these. Other parts of the qualification we will never use though such as Law.

There are lots of extra-curricular activities at PwC. There are social events every month if not more. We take part in a variety of things from going for drinks, go-karting, mini-golf. There's always something for everyone and it's always pre-paid for. We do also have a firm-wide day where everyone essentially has the day off to spend together doing something.

Yes

The opportunities PwC present are hard to find elsewhere. The qualification is difficult but if you put your head down and work hard then the benefits are amazing. PwC provide lots of support and they're in general a great firm to work with. From the socials to the travel, theres something for everyone

Don't think that just because it's an apprenticeship that it will be easy and a walk in the park. The exams i've undertaken are some of the hardest i've ever done. They really do require some hard concentration and a lot of out of hours revision so be prepared for this.