Data Analyst Review

As degree apprentices at PwC and Queen Mary (UoL) we have two parts to our apprenticeship. September - January we study at a QMUL campus with other tech degree apprentices, the end of January until July however, we work 5 days a week at a London office where the working environment is flexible (WFH 2-3 days a week).

At university, I've developed a fair amount of coding knowledge (as of first year) in Python and Java. I've also developed knowledge on my job role and my firm, at university, where we also improved our written analytical skills and writing techniques for essays. In the office we have also been introduced to new platforms such as Power BI and Alteryx, and have developed massively essential soft skills in the workplace.

As a whole our program is highly enjoyable. I feel treated more as an employee rather than just an apprentice or student, we are given several responsibilities and tasks that normal university students do not receive. As degree apprentices however, at times it can be challenging as there can be a lot to do in a small period of time (crammed uni course etc). The university aspect was enjoyable however not as anticipated, the style of teaching can be a bit abstract and does not tend to be consistent throughout the modules.

The structure of our program has both positives and negatives. The fact that we receive a long summer and winter break is definitely a positive as we feel that we are still university students and are able to progress without being too stressed that we have just been 'thrown' in the workplace. However the structure of the work placements does mean that we aren't able to progress as much as other apprentices elsewhere as we have a relatively short placement each year, however, this is not a too big of an issue as we recognise that we are apprentices and that during each placement we may be in different teams and may experiences different aspects of the business.

PwC as an employer have been great in looking after us apprentices. We definitely feel that we have a large infrastructure of support at hand, whether that be our managers, career coach, buddy or apprentice team lead, there are plenty of people and places to go for help when necessary. We also have catch ups with our apprentice lead and a university representative to review our placement and apprenticeship over the year.

We do receive a large range of support from QMUL, and there are many venues of help to go to when necessary, however, at times, despite being a relatively small cohort (depending on the lecturer) at times students find it hard or intimidating to get help from some lecturers, at times there is a misunderstanding of conversations that have been said between professors and students. However, some lecturers are great that ensuring we are all on board and are fully up to date.

Most of the university modules are not particularly related to what we do in our job role, however, this depends on the team you are in as every time uses different platforms and softwares. But overall, you will find that despite things at university being great to learn for future prospects, the correlation between what is taught and what is used in the workplace is relatively low.

From a personal perspective I am not really aware of any social activities and sports teams that take place within the workplace, however, I am sure they exist, I just believe it's something that you have to branch out and discover to be a part of rather than them coming to you.

Yes

As a whole PwC is a great reputable company, that do take great care of their employees, especially us apprentices. Our daily tasks do vary depending on the team, however, some projects last longer periods of time so you may be doing similar stuff on a day-to-day basis for a period of time.

Some words of wisdom would be, ensure you are well prepared for the interview processes, whether that be researching into the company and job role you will be carrying out. Be confident and as personable as can be, try to leave a good mark on your interviewer and peers. Good luck when applying, if you are prepared and want the specific role you will do well.