Flying Start Degree Programme - Flying Start 1 - Leeds Review

My role as a Flying Start 1 was within the line of service of assurance. This involved visiting client sites to carry out an external audit of their year end accounts. To perform this as a Flying Start 1 the job was to mainly gather evidence to support the client's information.

One skill that I have developed greatly over the course of my placement has been with technology. Particularly in learning ways to quickly use microsoft excel to solve problems by using new formulae and functions. Another skill that was developed over the placement was communication skills as I had to frequently discuss matters with the client members.

I found my time on the programme to be very enjoyable overall. There were times when it would be very difficult as there can be high workload when deadlines are near but it was very rewarding to get past these. Additionally there was a very good environment with the teams I worked in.

The programme is organised very well in my experience. It can be daunting to start a new programme but there is a week of helpful training sessions beforehand to make sure you are comfortable with some of the systems that you will be using. Additionally on the first days actually at the job there are people assigned that were formerly on the programme to assist you.

My employer is very supportive I have found. In terms of my development the support that you receive is great. Any person that you speak with on a job is always more than willing to provide coaching to help you learn new processes. In addition to this they regularly provide feedback to help you improve.

The support provided by the training provider is terrific. The teaching of the course is to a very high standard and all of the lecturers are open to questions. If you have any difficulties with a topic they will respond to your email or take the time to have a discussion with you so that you can understand.

I found the qualification learning process to be very conducive to the role I performed on the job. Part of being an auditor is to have the technical knowledge required to competently perform your job. This knowledge is built up well by the learning on the qualification so that you are equipped to deal with issues.

I found that placement to have a vast number opportunities to get involved with extra curricular activities. There was a strong social aspect to the firm and there were regular 'socials' which a great to chance to get to know other coworkers in other areas on the business you may not have met before.

Yes

I found that working here at PwC has been a great experience for me. The development opportunities that are provided are really good. You are able to see your progress of even a short space of time from all the help that you can receive from your coworkers on a job.

I would that when applying to PwC be aware of how you can best make an impact on the firm. Areas that the firm look at are known as the "PwC professional" which are a set of skills that they look for in an employee so researching this before and thinking of how it applies to you is a good step