Flying Start Degree programme - FS3, Edinburgh Review

My role as an auditor is to complete a number of tests over the client's financial results for the year. I work mostly in large groups, with a varied number of Managers, Seniors & Associates (like myself). At the beginning of the job, the Senior will create a plan for the weeks ahead, that outlines who will be conducting which areas of testing. Once that is addressed, my days on the job are spent liaising with the client and reviewing support for my testing areas.

I have definitely developed soft level skills such as teamwork and communication. My days are usually spent either speaking to the client or speaking to other team members about the work at hand. Additionally, I have developed my level of critical thinking. For example when I receive a report from the client, I ask myself questions such as 'can we rely on this report' or 'is this report truly accurate'. This skill development is apparent in the level and quality of work I produce.

I thoroughly enjoy my programme. The sense of team morale among many jobs makes the whole experience enjoyable. I have met many wonderful people and worked on a number of very interesting jobs. It is also interesting to see the content that I learn within the classroom being put into real life practice. I have felt fully supported by many people through the programme too - eg. other Flying Start students, my University coordinator, PwC employees and other representatives.

My programme is very well structured. From the outset, we are given a timetable/calendar that details what to expect for the months ahead and highlights any key dates. Feedback sessions are also very well structured, as there is an expectation set as to when we are due to collect all pieces of feedback from other team members. This has helped me to stay on track and has given me a great overview of the work I have done throughout my placement.

I have received a great amount of support from my employer, in a number of forms. We are each assigned a Career Coach at the beginning of our placement, who helps us with any queries that may pop up along the way - both specific or general queries. For example when I struggled to follow the process of receiving pieces of feedback, my Career Coach arranged a brief meeting to help point me in the right direction. PwC also assigned a 'buddy' for each of us. This offered a great support network in a more informal way.

Again, we receive a great amount of support from our training providers. ICAEW arrange a number of talks, presentations and meetings for us - typically when we are studying at University. They outline the roadmap ahead with all the key information we may need eg. exam dates, training support and content, hints and tips from those already qualified and experienced in the roles.

I believe it has helped immensely. Joining PwC with the knowledge provided by my training provider meant that I was able to put everything I had learned in the classroom into practice. I found that the questions I asked during my time on placement, also helped improve my learning once I returned to the classroom.

With the current work from home restrictions, it has been difficult to participate in any kind of extracurricular activities, however PwC have made a great effort to get people connected and involved in a number of activities. Examples include quizzes, murder mystery events, online games and puzzles. This definitely helped people to get involved and get to know one another. During previous years (when we were not confined to lockdown restrictions) - PwC did offer a great number of activities such as netball, football, walks etc.

Yes

PwC offer an endless amount of support, meaning that I was able to turn to many/multiple people for different issues. I have met many wonderful people at PwC and I truly believe that it is the 'people' that can create the experience. Within audit, there is a clear career progression (should people want to follow it) which I think acts as a great source of motivation. I feel like I have learnt a lot from working with PwC over the last few months.

My greatest piece of advice would be to get involved and get to know people. As previously mentioned, it is the people that create the experience and I learnt a lot from an array of people. Another piece of advice would be to always be open to challenge. Whether it is in receiving feedback, or just through conversation on various jobs, you can really learn and develop as a person when evaluating your own work.