Assurance Intern/Trainee Review

I have been involved in a range of client audits, from pharmaceutical to retail businesses. There was flexibility between working from home, on client-site and in the office. As part of the placement I have also studied for 7 of the ICAEW ACA professional qualification exams. This has included in-person college days, self-study and revision in my own time.

I have learnt lots during my placement. The ICAEW ACA Professional Qualification provided a good theoretical grounding in accounting, assurance, tax and law. This was especially helpful as I have no prior experience in these areas and my University degree is in an unrelated subject. I have also developed my IT (in particular excel), organisation, time-management and prioritisation skills.

The placement has been extremely challenging, but everyone I have worked with has been friendly and very welcoming to the business. The time spent in college with my year-group has been enjoyable and I liked working as part of different teams on various clients. It was also interesting to gain an insight into how a variety of businesses function.

The placement is very well organised and as a placement student you follow the first year of the graduate programme. On joining the firm you are given a career coach and buddy (individual in the year above) to offer advice and guidance. The professional qualification is also very structured with college days, mocks and exams.

I found PwC very supportive during my placement. At times you have to work long hours (especially in busy season) and balancing exam revision around a full time job can feel overwhelming but there is a strong support network and flexible working opportunities. Attending college with your peer group also makes the exams feel more manageable as you can help each other out.

The support for the ICAEW ACA qualification was provided by Kaplan. The college days at Kaplan were really helpful and the tutors explained the concepts at a level that was accessible, even without any prior experience in accounting / business studies. You are also given access to an online learning site, study materials and mock exams.

As I had no prior experience the professional qualification was really useful to get a good grounding in the different areas required for the job. A lot of the learning was solidified through my day-to-day work and helped me understand why I was performing the different audit tests. PwC also provided their own audit training which was more specific to my role.

There are lots of activities to get involved with. Although I was based in one of the smaller offices for my placement there were still football and netball teams you could sign up for that were involved in leagues with other local accountancy firms. There are also different communities you can join based on your interests (e.g. gender equality, religious networks, sustainability).

Yes

PwC is an international and widely respected organisation. The job is challenging and can require long hours during busy seasons but if you are willing to put in then there are great progression opportunities. The firm is very inclusive and also offers flexible working (e.g. location and times) which help make the workload more manageable.

If you are interested in the placement scheme I would recommend applying even if you do not have a relevant degree. As part of my application I had an online aptitude test, an interview and an assessment day. For the assessment day time-management and prioritisation is vital as you are given a lot of work to get through. It is also important to have an understanding of the professional qualification as the exams are intense and challenging, however you are well-supported at PwC in studying for them so do not be put off by this.