As a second year associate my role has developed, I’m building leadership skills and acting as a role model for more junior staff; this means taking on more responsibility and working in more complex areas of an audit. I’m part of the main audit team that conducts the audit on the client site, working closely with the client accounting team. On a daily basis, I have meetings with the client including the Financial Director when appropriate. One of the tasks I get very involved in is stock counts; this involves verifying inventory at year end by physically inspecting a sample at the client site.
The variety in my work is what I most enjoy about working at PwC. Since I started, I’ve worked on a host of clients across all industries including the FTSE 100, but also smaller owner managed businesses. I have experienced both internal and external audit jobs. Between client work, I’m also working towards my professional qualification which involves college and self study, ensuring no two days are alike. In addition to this, I thoroughly enjoy the supportive and inclusive culture where everyone in the office is always happy to see you and show a real interest in your development.
As well as audit work, we’re encouraged to seek out other opportunities to develop ourselves, recently I’ve been involved in Business development. This is the process of working towards a pitch to win new work. It’s really exciting and enables you to demonstrate your business acumen. It also provides a rare opportunity to think about how we operate as a business, and play an important part in the firm’s growth.
Balancing work and college has been one of the most challenging parts of the job. It can be quite tiring to work a full day to then have to come home to revision! The key here is being organised and planning your time accordingly. Working on my first busy season was quite stressful as that’s when the bulk of clients have their year end, so days can sometimes seem pretty long, however I really enjoyed the experience of working on a really interesting client and am pleased to have made a positive impact.
At PwC you are always supported. We have dedicated people managers who are there to help to support you in both personal and professional development. Everyone I’ve worked with has been really helpful and supportive, colleagues really take the time to explain things to you, ensuring you fully understand what is expected of you.
I’m most proud of passing all my exams first time - as I progress through my professional qualifications, I hope this continues!
I chose to start my career with PwC as I wanted to work with like-minded people, in an environment where I would be able to achieve my potential. PwC has a very well-structured graduate programme with the opportunity to complete the ACA qualification. My advice to anyone applying would be to research PwC and find out why we are the firm for you.
The PwC working life is varied in almost all areas. Throughout my first year at PwC I’ve worked on financial services, insurance and consumer retail areas in an audit capacity. But I have also been given the opportunity to assist the Student Recruitment team at graduate marketing events. Within the office there is always a social activity that you can take part in. We have regular office drinks, socials and a host of clubs and societies. I play badminton on Tuesday evenings with colleagues from across all departments. Just recently we have had our office away day which involved a total wipeout style assault course!
Exciting, challenging and interesting!
