Trainee Tax Associate Review

I prepare tax returns for large companies based upon the accounts and trial balances provided by the companies. Once I have prepared the return I link in with a more senior member of staff to review it and update any changes as necessary. I also perform admin tasks such as ringing HMRC.

Learnt specific skills related to my role such as tax technical knowledge with a focus on corporations. I have also learnt better organisational skills juggling work with exam study. I would say I have improved my communications skills as you have to develop strong working relationships with your team in order to be successful.

I enjoy coming into work as it is a positive learning environment and a friendly workplace. There isn't however much variety to your role and I feel from an early stage you are assigned to a specific team and not given much exposure to other teams and therefore you don't know what team/role you would enjoy best.

There is a clear structure to my program with a combination of exams and on the job learning provided. There are also regular training days on various different topics relevant to the job so you are constantly improving. In terms of promotions there is a clear pathway with achievable goals to complete in order to reach them.

We have regular catch ups with our people managers and our below manager peer group. They offer advice if we are struggling with any problems and are always checking up with us to see how we are getting on. We also have support from our tutors at kaplan for our exams.

They provide a limited amount of support as it is quite difficult to contact them should we have any questions on a particular topic. They do however provide good online material that is clear and easy to understand if you put the work in. There could be a more simple process however for getting in touch with questions.

The exams I have done so far have defiantly helped me in my role. For example the accountancy exam gave me a good knowledge of the basic concepts of accounting and allow me to navigate accounts and extract the information I need much more easily. They have made me more confident in my role.

There are lots of opportunities if you go out and look for them. There is a 5 a side football, socials most months, team lunches, trips abroad and many more things. It is up to the individual to make the most of these opportunities and if you do it will make your life at work a lot more exciting.

Yes

I would recommend PwC to a friend as I feel they genuinely care about the staff and although the work can be hard and not exciting for everyone the work environment and other benefits provided really do make it a great place to work. The opportunities that PwC can provide are some of the best out there and for me there is no better place to start your career.

I would say make sure you research the role you are applying for heavily and ask lots of questions at your interview to make sure the job really is for you. Also reach out to any family/friends you know working at the firm to see if they can give you an insight of what working here is like.