Flying Start Degree Programme - FS3 Leeds Review

Working in the audit line of service. This typically involves working with different clients and industries. As on my third placement, this means that I am part of the junior teams which typically engage in the day-to-day audit work of different financial statement line items. Bookings rotate meaning that I am not always booked onto the same client.

I have definitely improved my communication skills throughout my experience on this placement. Being able to visit client sites more frequently and working face-to-face in team environments has directly improved these skills by being able to put skills into practice. These have proven to be invaluable experiences to me and I look to continue to improve these going forward.

I really enjoy the mixed elements of this programme. Learning different modules at university allows me to develop my technical knowledge. With the work experience I can see first hand the importance of this knowledge but more importantly develop skills at applying this knowledge. I enjoy the differing environments of uni work and work experience.

In my opinion the course is well structured in the sense that it it always clear where we need to be on different dates and the understanding of the timeline of the course. However, I think the structure could improve in terms of the interaction between the work experience company and uni by making it clear what is expected.

In my opinion, the support from the employer is to a high standard. All colleagues are friendly and approachable and you feel as though you can ask any question to anybody at any time. Individually, there is also a strong support framework through the provision of a career coach who maintains the best interests of your career.

The training provider is very good at providing us as students with equipment that directly helps our studies. For instance, little things like being provided with hardcopy textbooks for our learning is really important to me. Being a member of the training provider brings support in the form of helplines and contacts that are available to ask anything to.

The exams and modules we study through the training provider provide us with a clear platform for growth as it allows us to develop technical knowledge which we apply day to day in our roles. Without this knowledge, I think I would really struggle in this role. The study is definitely of big relevance to the role.

There are some extracurricular activities to get involved in at the workplace. These are mainly social events such as quiz nights, networking in the form of group meetings and sometimes there are sports guided events such as running clubs. However, I would like to add that it would be great to expand the range of sports activities offered at the firm.

Yes

I would recommend PwC to a friend on the basis that it is a very nice firm to work for whereby everybody is friendly and welcoming. I have found there is also an emphasis on ensuring that you are doing well and there is a real care shown towards you by other people.

I would advise anybody applying to PwC to ensure that they feel confident in their ability to communicate well with others. I would say this is a big and essential part of the job and that you need to be confident. Also, I would advise others to ensure they have researching enough about the department they would like to apply for.