Flying start Review

My day to day role will be dependant upon the job I have been booked to. Usually when booked to a new client, the initial days of the audit involve developing an understanding of the clients business and allocating areas of audit work to different team members. I would then take ownership of my areas, liasing with the client to obtain the audit evidence required and then documenting the work.

Across my placements, the work environment and work performed has enabled me to develop the following skills: Audit skills Knowledge of FSLI's Time management Confidence building Professional interaction with clients Use of various accounting systems Team work Organisational skills Punctuality I hope to continue my development as I progress within the firm.

I have enjoyed the programme as it has helped me to develop my confidence in the working environment and taught me a lot about the financial industry. I have also developed friendships both at university and in the workplace. I am excited to continue my journey with PwC and hope to fully qualify in the near future.

The structure of the programme allows you to learn the technical theory whilst at university and then apply that understand to real life scenarios when working on a range of different clients. Being able to do the accounting exams spread out over the 4 year programme, I feel was beneficial as it means you can really focus on the individual exams as opposed to having to sit numerous ones regularly.

PwC offer continuous support across the programme, providing the textbooks needed for study whilst at university and providing the coaching at work to be able to learn different audit areas and apply the knowledge picked up from studies. They are also keen to check up on your progress, assigning you a career coach on each placement who is on hand to answer any queries.

The ICAEW provides the relevant materials for study and also sends regular update emails containing any useful information. On their website, you will be given a login so that you have access to extra study resources such as practice papers, mark schemes and study manuals. This has meant that when I have been studying towards the exams, I am never short of resources.

Again the structure of the programme allows you to learn the technical theory and then how to apply that theory to real world scenarios. Having starting a work placement with some prior knowledge gained from studies made the work seem less daunting initially as there was some understanding as to why I needed to perform the work I was doing.

Yes, there are a lot of extra-curricular activities available at PwC and the firm encourage involvement as this helps to develop friendships within the workplace. Social activities, sports teams and networking events are all included and there is even a yearly away day trip whereby we are encouraged to take park in team building tasks.

Yes

The size of the firm, means you are able to work with a range of different people and on various clients from all different industries. There is also a lot of opportunity to transfer to different departments within the firm, meaning you can really find the area you want to specialise in.

I would advise being confident in your interview and through the application process, and try and provide many different examples of scenarios where you have developed key skills that are instilled within the firm e.g. teamwork. I would also practice any online maths and english tests available as there will be a small test in the assessment day.