Associate Review

An associate will be given control of simpler FSLI's to audit. This includes selecting samples from client listings, this is to ensure completeness of the client's financial statements and to detect any material misstatements. Associates are expected to communicate effectively with their own team and the client over any queries you find.

The biggest skill I have developed over the last 3 months is my excel skills. I had a very basic knowledge of excel before starting but after using it everyday for the last 3 months I have started to learn lots of the short cuts and best ways to use it. I have also developed my understanding of what an audit is and how they are performed effectively.

The programme was not the most enjoyable but that is not because it is run badly. It is just I personally do not enjoy the line of work. I feel as an associate the tasks you are given are very mind numbing and repetitive which did not make me excited to get up in the morning to get to work. I also found that the team you work in is the most important part of audit to whether it makes it enjoyable or not. If you have a quiet team you will have a very depressing few weeks of work but if you have a more energetic lively team it makes the time go quicker and become more enjoyable. It is all down to luck, which I personally do not think is a good or healthy way to live as you are leaving the fate of your well being up to chance.

The programme is well organised and structured, they have career coaches and "buddy's" in place to help you feel settled in your first week and as points of contact if you are struggling with anything throughout the course of the programme. They also have very good systems in place to ensure you know who you are working for and when.

Within your team you do receive good support if you require it. They are all happy to help you get to grips with parts of the job you do not understand and were generally very good at explaining what you need to do. Externally from the team I did not receive any support as I did not require it but I am sure that it was in place if I needed it.

With my specific programme all our training and professional exams are done at University which has strong links to PwC who provide our placement so we get a lot of support towards our qualifications but we are paying University fees so you would expect there to be a lot of support in place.

The exams we have done so far do help a lot with the understanding and theory side of the job. However, there are a lot of other parts of the job that you can not study for such as how to use the internal IT systems of PwC and communication skills.

There are more external activities in summer I think but I experienced none in the winter due to it being the busy season for Auditors so there is too much work going on for social events which is a shame as our placement is only for the busy season so we do not get to see this side of the firm.

Yes

All though audit is not the most exciting line of work, PwC has a lot more to offer than just audit. After you qualify and get your professional exams out the way there are opportunities within the firm to move out of audit to other areas such as consultancy and deals. They are also are very good at progressing and promoting people through the firm.

The only tips I would give is that you need to have a strong work ethic and be proactive with your learning / work. You also must make yourself heard as if you want to be noticed and get positive feedback you must be able to create good relationships with your team.