Trainee associate Review

You will typically assist with day to day activities such as drafting emails to clients, other members of staff and performing research into specific tax matters. You will take notes in calls and file all relevant information to a database. Client work can vary from a simple ad-hoc query to a full blown project. There are many opportunities to get involved with in the role.

You will learn very quickly that having a network of people to support you is very important in both helping you succeed as well as securing work. You will also learn and develop excel skills as these are quite relevant to the work you will be doing. Being able to look at and understand tax legislation is a skill that will come with time and will be very useful for both your exams and client work.

I find the programme is very enjoyable and interesting. Working with a wide range of clients within my first few months was exciting and there are many opportunities to get involved with lots of client work. Generally the graduate intake will be at college more often than school leavers and this will mean you can be involved in more long term work.

The programme seems to be well structured with everyone in your intake sitting exams at the same centres and times with college days already organised for you. At times it can feel not very organised with formal training being arranged for days when you are sitting an exam (although this was changed eventually)

My employer provides me with plenty of support to both complete my work and help me towards passing my exams. In the office the team will help you with pointing out places to find information (such as legislation and tolley’s tax tutor) and encourages you to read up on important tax matters.

Kaplan provides us with lots of support. The tutors will give you their phone numbers and emails so you can contact them outside of college if you have any questions or need any help. College days can feel as if you’re very briefly skimming over the content but the study manuals provided cover everything in depth.

I feel the qualification I am studying for (the ATT) is very helpful with my current position. Although you will start studying personal tax before any business or corporation tax modules, this gives you the basic foundation to be able to better understand how the UK tax system works. You can choose to do another qualification after the ATT (you can do the CTA which is a higher level tax qualification, or the more general ACA)

There are lots of extra-curricular activities to get involved in. There is a sports and social club which will often run informal social events (most recently a trip to see Book of Mormon in theatre). Regularly there are inter-office football games between St Albans and Uxbridge. There are formal networking events run such as the tax strategy day.

Yes

PwC offers a great benefits system (private healthcare, large pension contributions, car scheme, you are able to buy up to 5 days extra holiday or you can sell some holiday if you won’t use all of it). Unused holiday carries over to the next year up to 5 days. There is a strong feeling of community within PwC.

Read the news regularly, keeping up with current affairs may not seem very important but it can help you in your day to day job. Take your time in the assessment centre and let others speak and have their own input but also make sure you are able to get some points across. During you interview make sure to ask questions about the day to day activities and career progression.