Flying Start Degree Programme - Trainee Associate Manchester Review

As an auditor it is your job to review the accounts of companies and organisations to ensure the validity and legality of their financial records before they are released to the public. As a trainee associate you work as part of a team to perform specific testing over financial statement line items and document the results. It also involves communicating with a range of clients from all industries.

This placement happens along side my University degree, having the practical element of placement has aided my learning and understanding of the content. Previously in my A level studies the use of Excel was never needed, whilst on placement my excel skills have developed. Due to the nature of the job you have to work as part of a team and interact with clients, this exposes you to professional situations and teaches you how to interact at this level of professionalism which you may not experience ordinarily at University.

During placement you are able to work on a variety of clients and with lots of different teams. This is quite refreshing as you constantly meet new people and learn new things. I particularly enjoy having placement during University as it's a nice change of environment whilst still enhancing my learning experience.

There is lots of strong links between the University and PwC, with previous cohorts of Flying starts helping out and offering advice / answering any questions. As well we have a Learning advisor from PwC who often delivers lectures on professionalism. However due to the nature of placement taking up term time as well as the impact of COVID-19 this year it has meant lectures have felt rushed and the workload can be intense compared to other courses.

Whilst on placement you are assigned Buddy's in years above as well as someone who works in the same sector as you. They are on standby to answer any general queries you may have. You are also allocated a Career Coach who arranges meetings regularly to set goals, track progress and help with any issues you may have.

We take the exams through the university, so after placement the learning side for our exams becomes quite separate to placement. Placement is only used as a requirement for a set number of worked days to achieve the qualification.

Learning the content for the qualification enabled me to understand the reasoning why I as performing certain tasks. Having this understanding probably allowed me to perform tasks to a higher standard.

Whilst at work there was a range of socials organised by ex-flying starts, including things like quizzes. These were hosted over zoom due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However it allowed for the opportunity to meet people in all years as well as ex-flying starts who you may work with in the future.

Yes

It allows you to get real life experience, as well if you achieve a grade of 2:1 or higher and pass your placements there is an opportunity to receive a job offer as well as complete your ACA qualification. This can be particularly helpful as finding a job as post - graduate can be extremely competitive.

Work experience or certain a levels are not necessary, however there is an interview process so having a good knowledge can be helpful to show you're passionate about the course. Before your interview they send out potential areas to research that could come up, usually this could be a current business affair in the news.