Flying Start Degree programme - Year 1 & East Midlands office Review

On a day to day basis I work on different clients and I get coached in different areas of audit. So one day I could be working on accounts receivables for a large client and the next I could be on a stock count at a client site for a smaller client. It mainly involves a tool caused aura, which allows all the files to be compiled and organised in one place so the "engagement team" can collaboratively get the audit done in an efficient way.

I learnt a lot of new skills, involving many nifty tricks on how to use and navigate around excel; how to carry out an audit from start to finish; and how to carry out a stock count. It is has been a great experience into how to engage professionally with clients and managers. I have also developed my knowledge of the financial world as I have learnt how different business' are run and how important audit is to ensuring that financial laws are upheld.

I enjoyed my programme quite a lot as it gave me the first stepping stone in getting into accounting and has broadened my view of the financial world. From the start to finish I have met lots of great people who just wanted to help me and coach me through it. I believe that it could be improved through more social activities within the apprentices, however this could be put down to Covid-19 not allowing for plans to be made.

The programme was structured fairly well. It started with a good induction and 2 weeks of training, which wasn't the best. However, this was due to Covid-19 making it virtual so it felt less inclusive and hard to follow. Throughout the process I have had mentors and a career coach to support me, so if I ever needed to ask questions I could. When it came to different clients and engagements they delegated tasks well, so not giving me copious amounts of work, but always giving me a senior associate to coach me through it. So, overall I believe this programme is fairly well organised.

I received a lot of support from PwC. They create a culture within the business so everyone supports each other, but mainly that the managers are there to teach the associates, as they to be assumed to know nothing. So, on each engagement, the manager would walk me through what I had to do, and be available for a call if I ever had any questions. I also had a mentor, a careers coach, who you have 3 meetings with to make sure everything is going well and that you are achieving everything that you wanted to from the outset.

University of Nottingham provides unlimited support. From the head of the course, to the lecturers, they give all the support you could need. It just depends whether you take them up on it. However, once again, due to Covid-19, this did feel restricted at some points as you couldn't ask them in person, so it felt sometimes hard to do this. For the exams though, they generally cover everything to allow you to get the grades for the qualification.

I feel like what I learnt in training and the theory I was taught provided a base to work off. Obviously, it can't teach you everything, because in day to day tasks it might be the system you're learning to use, which isn't going to be taught through theory, but it teaches enough for you to understand why certain things are happening, for example why a stock count is necessary. I feel like from my training and apprenticeship I could go into the auditing world with enough knowledge to get me going.

For this, I can't comment on as Covid-19 has acted as a massive barrier to anything that would have happened. I myself have not been able to participate in anything the firm has had to offer. They have offered the occasional virtual social, however I felt too intimidated to join any of them as I feel like everyone in them would have known each other. Hopefully, on my next placement, as I will be in the office getting to know people, this will drastically change.

Yes

I would recommend PwC to a friend for multiple reasons. The first being that it offers you a great future as it allows you to constantly build on your knowledge. Furthermore, it gives you a great salary and treats you fairly, so that you can do the stuff you love, whilst earning enough money to carry you through. And then finally, because PwC are so good as making sure you're on the right path. The management I have met have ensured that at any point I can ask any questions, so I never feel like I have noone to ask and it has meant that it feels like a comfortable working environment.

I would advise them go for it and not give up because it's well worth it. The application process, the interviews and assessment days aren't there to catch you out or find people to fail, they want you to succeed, so go there, relax and enjoy yourself, whilst meeting new people who are looking at the same path at you (because you could end up working with them in the future). I wish I was told to meet as many people as I could, because the bigger network you have, the more fun, socials and people you'll meet.