Flying Start Degree programme Review

My role was basically helping the senior members of the engagement teams I was assigned to in selecting samples and documentation of evidence. The team is aware that you are just starting out so they prepare in advance to coach you and take you through the necessary steps to guide your learning. I was also interacting with the client both directly and via email. I've been on placement for three months and have been involved in over 8 different projects; both internal and external audit.

The biggest improvement in the skills department for me has been my technical capabilities. I have learned so much about using excel and documenting evidence from testing. Progressively, I have grown more independent and have been able to manage some audit areas entirely by myself. My people skills have also witnessed major improvement as I have been part of different teams; each team having a blend of different personalities that I have had to adapt to in order to work effectively.

I have really enjoyed it- at the start I did not know what to expect but it turned out great! There are a lot of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work too; such as football, pizza nights, debriefs after completing engagements and so on. That said, I have enjoyed meeting new people in the workplace and growing my network outside of university.

The programme manager communicates all events well beforehand so you know what to expect and when it will happen. First year was completely dedicated to academic work. Second, third and fourth year will be a mix of school and work- with the autumn term being for lectures and some tests and then the spring term being for placement (work experience). After placement, there's an Easter break before heading back for revision classes and then finally exams in the summer term. There is a strong support system in place; if you have any questions you can reach out to your team leader, peers or programme manager. You also get assigned a people manager who is there to sort out any issues you might come across while at work (including your well-being)

The managers on my teams have been very approachable and easy to have conversations with. I was asking for help mostly from senior associates and I found that most times you would rather ask about an approach before going about your own business and not achieving the end goal. Easy to access my people manager via hangouts or email and get a timely response. The HR team pays attention to any preferred jobs you may have so if you are interested in a specific area you can inform them.

Learning material is available on the ICAEW website and I keep getting email reminders about what needs to get done as far as getting my qualification is concerned.

It has been very helpful because we basically apply what we learn in lectures to the job. On some occasions it has been useful to refer back to my ICAEW material for guidance and also to better understand what I am testing and why.

Yes, there are loads of activities to get involved in including sports, charity events, pizza nights and so on... and these are on nearly every other week. A lot of Fridays after work are spent having a pint or two!

Yes

I would recommend it for the office culture and the opportunities to work not just in the UK but also abroad. I also strongly believe in the PwC Professional values and you will find that while at PwC, you are constantly finding ways to improve yourself in these areas and therefore working towards being a top notch professional.

Make sure you do your research and know all about the area you want to work in (assurance, tax, deals, etc). Check out the PwC website to understand what values they are looking for and see how you have demonstrated these in your past experiences. If you don't live in the UK, you can apply to do telephone interviews. The most important part of the process of application is the assessment day; be sure to come professionally dressed and carry a watch to keep time during the group exercise. Be confident and be a team member.