Flying Start Degree Programme - FS1, Cardiff Review

I would communicate with my in-charge every morning about my tasks for the day, which would usually involve either picking out a sample for a certain FSLI and sending off to the client to return, and then using returned samples to populate the audit work, in order to give a true and fair opinion of the financial statements. I would also be involved in meetings with the client when we were discuss the progress of the audit and what we still need from the client.

I've improved my very limited Microsoft excel skills massively from being on placement with PwC this year. I had a very limited knowledge before my placement, apart from a small module I did at University last year, and so I went in knowing practically nothing. I learnt so many of the keyboard shortcuts that save so much time, as well as the different tools that excel offers, that I wasn't previously aware of.

I am currently really enjoying the programme. Last year I enjoyed being at university and having the social side of it as well as working in person at lectures, and then I got to experience online lectures towards the end of 2nd term due to Covid-19 which went well as well. I have since been on placement, and I would really recommend working at PwC. The people working there are so supportive and helpful, and the fact that everyone works together as a team makes the tasks flow a lot more efficiently. The experience of being on placement has really exceeded my expectations, and I can't wait to return next year when we will hopefully be working in person in the offices, instead of remotely like this year.

I believe the programme to be very well structured. There is a great balance between university work and placement work, as they are both done at different times. I also believe that the compulsory modules that we took last year were chosen well, and relevant to the type of work that we would be doing on placement. The support that we received throughout was great, with updates from our tutors as well as from our career coaches.

I received so much support from my employers. We were set up with a 'buddy', who showed us how the IT systems worked on the first day, as well as the general things to know whilst working there. We also had a career coach, who set up a weekly meeting with us to talk about how we'd been getting on and any issues/queries we had. On top of this, our in-charges for jobs were constantly reaching out and showing us how to complete tasks and making sure we were getting on okay.

We received a fair bit of support from university whilst on placement. We had a mid-placement meeting planned, as well as various Google teams meetings to show us how to complete our studies. There were lectures uploaded online for us to complete at any time convenient to us, which was helpful when working at a time-demanding job. If I ever needed guidance from my tutor at any point, I knew I would be able to email and arrange a meeting with no problems.

I feel that the modules we studied at University aided our learning during placement, so we didn't go into it knowing nothing. Because of this, we could add more to the teams we were working within, and contribute to the overall audit as a whole. The knowledge we already had was relevant to what we were doing, especially 'Assurance' and 'Fundamentals of Financial and Management Accounting', and the module that were were completing during placement: 'Audit and Assurance'.

There were a few social events at work such as group afternoons, but not as many as I understand there would have been if we were at the office during our placements rather than working remotely (due to the pandemic). However, our Christmas admin days are planned with quite a few activities which I am looking forward to, and there were a few fun activities planned last week for PwC employees to get involved in.

Yes

PwC are such inclusive employers, who really go the extra mile to ensure every person feels satisfied and knows what they are doing. There is such a great support network at PwC, and as cliché as it sounds, the people really make the job more enjoyable. Every time I had a query or problem, there was someone ready for me to talk to, and my issue would be resolved pretty much straight away. I would really recommend working at PwC.

I would advice people applying to work at PwC to research the business and their fundamental principles (such as teamwork and business acumen), and consider what you would be able to contribute to these qualities, and how you would fit in with the PwC lifestyle. PwC hire individuals who are passionate and determined, so show that passion and prove how you can add individuality to the teams that you will be working within, without 'ticking the boxes'.