Flying Start Degree Programme - Watford Review

I worked as a junior auditor and on a day-to-day basis, there was time spent getting instruction/direction/coaching from a senior. I would then tend to work on some audit planning or basic documentation of testing for things such as expenses or payroll. I also tend to spend time emailing the client.

I have learned many new skills, such as how to interact with clients in a professional and corporate environment. I have also learned the basic fundamentals of audit which really built upon my training due to the on-the-job experience. I became better at working in a team and new forms of collaboration through working virtually.

I really enjoy my programme as for me it offers the best of both, I get the University experience as well as work experience. Learning new things every week kept the job interesting and moving to different teams meant I could meet lots of new people. In addition to this, as placement students we were still hugely involved in social events which were a lot of fun.

I think it is very well structured as the transition from work to university is quite simple after Semester One and by having a 3-month placement we were not overwhelmed at all, and it was also outside of busy season. The organisation is okay but could be better in terms of communication between the University and PwC.

I received a huge amount of support from my employer as I was lucky enough to get a really good career coach. However, this is just dependent on who you are assigned so is different for everyone. I also had a "buddy" who answered any minor queries I had and understood what I was experiencing as they are only one grade above.

We did not receive much support from the University. We had a well-being call which was helpful but other than that my personal tutor did not check-in or plan a meeting and I have not heard too much from them, even though we are still paying University fees. I think this is the main aspect that could be improved on the programme as we are studying for one module whilst working and could do with more support to balance the workload.

Going to University and having some accounting background experience really helped performed better as an auditor. This is because, unlike some other new auditors, we had a basic understanding of each area as we had already gone over the theory of it. Therefore, we only had to learn the practicalities of auditing.

There were many social activities, especially considering the Covid-19 situation, which helped me get to know my colleagues. There were team socials where for example we did an activity such as an escape room, then had food and drinks afterward. This helped me meet people of different grades. But there was also a new-joiner social where we did a quiz and got to know people who were at our level and in the same position as us.

Yes

I have enjoyed my time at Pwc due to the social aspects of the firm, but also you learn a lot here. There is a huge focus around coaching and people are constantly helping you and you even begin to help others around you. Therefore, you always feel like you have an important role at PwC. The variation in work is also great as I worked on multiple clients and I got on well with almost every team I worked with.

My advice would be to speak to someone who works there if you can so you can get a real feel for what it is actually like. Also, look at the website at their values, these are very important to the firm. Finally, I would say really do your research and see if the role is right for you as much as you can.