Trainee Associate Review

Essentially I did all the role of a graduate but for less pay. I work in PwC Operate, their new service delivery Line of Service based out of Belfast but growing over in the UK. I was involved in risk and compliance, and would carry out tests of controls for audit clients in support of a frontline team in the UK. Day to day, I would be communicating with my bosses in England, and testing financial or regulatory controls using PwC audit software - usually excel. It's a lot of spreadsheets and a lot of stick from people you don't actually meet. I might also be in meetings, on walkthroughs of controls or on training activities with Operate.

I have learned a lot more about Microsoft Excel, and am now fairly proficient. I've also learned about how near shore collaboration can work in practice, which I might recommend or utilise later in my career. I've enhanced my skills working with others, for the first time my colleagues are considerably older than me and this was hard to adjust to at start. This has made me more confident both in a professional and personal capacity. Pretty much everything else I learned was only relevant to controls testing and so now totally useless going forward.

I enjoyed the social aspect, as there is often a lot going on and everyone's fairly young - there's also the annual dinner at the Europa which was a blast. I also liked the idea of increased independence, as I could often move around the building to work where I felt most productive at any given time - this will be enhanced by the new 70m$ office at Merchant Square in 2020. However, the work is tedious and often soul - destroying, which I did not enjoy - if I had wanted a career in audit, this role would be perfect. The management are totally false when interacting with you, and you don't know whether you'll get the carrot or the stick. At one point you just realise anyone in power in this firm lives for the control they have and are really not nice people. Most of the associates themselves though, as they're usually taking advantage of the free training before getting a decent job with actual compensation, are nice enough. We were made a lot of empty promises which were never fulfilled - a choices reward system, travel outside the UK (only senior associate or above), the chance to move teams (non existent below senior associate without applying externally), and a 2 week trip to London to train - my training was in a sweaty room and totally irrelevant.

It's ridiculously structured. You spend 3 months doing nothing before your first exam, then another 3 months, then you've 5 in like 10 months with the summer mostly off - no need at all. Never mind this, you're expected to work extreme hours of overtime "for the client" whilst you study. Oh, and you get fired if you fail the resit.........just saying. They talk to you like you're 18, pay you like you're 18, but expect you to do the work of a senior associate - no leeway for lack of experience here!

Absolutely none. They'll not let you sit professional qualifications other than your contracted one while you are a Trainee, you can often be "on the bench"for weeks on end with literally nothing to do, and you're not allowed to study. [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions]

Their online support told me they didn't have enough time to answer my question (despite it not closing for 40 more minutes), and they send a lacklustre email the day after AFTER my exam with a terrible explanation. The tutor for classes was nice but ineffective.

Its not even relevant, it's almost as if they had to offer a qualification of sorts to justify hiring 18 year olds, which are cheaper, particularly in Ireland compared to the UK. One module was pretty much a level business, the rest weren't applicable to my role at all.

This is where PwC can actually be recommended. There are quarterly socials which the firm rents a bar or tables etc, acting as a great opportunity to talk to those you might not during the day - always a good laugh.[This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] There are often spontaneous drinking sessions break out in the office at like 3pm, and theres drink in all the fridges.

No

If you're someone who lives for a stale office environment, has no partner or kids and doesn't go out much - this is for you. If you appreciate your personal life, want to earn a reasonable salary for what you do and want to be treated with respect, don't do it. Go to uni - this job is not a certainty and maybe 60-70% of apprentices leave before finishing their qualifications. Enjoy your life while you're young, then worry about a 9-5.

Use the professional framework to guide your answers - you are getting marked against it. Read business news regularly and spur your mind to think about how that can help PwC clients, it often comes up and shows initiative.