Corporate Tax Associate Review

Working for Pwc is a great development opportunity and I really learnt so much from my 11 Months. Everything is so fast paced and intense which I something I really enjoyed. However there were many challenging times for example when I had to work long hours and also study for ACA, which can get you down. However your peers are going through the same feelings and when you pass those exams it's the most rewarding feeling. It really gives you a sense of achievement

PwC has a great people culture, especially within assurance. You are usually in audit teams of around 3 to 10 and during the 4 or so weeks together you really do feel like a close knit team. Every person I have worked with is always happy to help you out if there are any issues which is something I found very impressive

PwC has a great support network. You have your people manager who is always there to support you when needed. You are also assigned a buddy which helps you ease into working life. They are usually someone in the year above, and it really helps to be able to ask someone the stupid questions. On top of that your fellow graduates are your peer group and you go through college and all the travails of being an associate together, which is an amazing support network to have

During my time at PwC I have always constantly been busy, especially when working on complicated audit clients. I've had to do a fair amount of over time, which isn't always great. On the flip side there can be times when you don't have much to do and you really need to take those times to unwind

After your first few months of training and examinations I found that I was given a fair amount of responsibility. From day one I was talking to the client, which shows the great faith they have in us. Towards the end of my placement, I was doing work that third years did and was liasing with directors and managers, which hilights how quickly your responsibility within the firm increases

I learnt a lot of Excel tips and tricks that I know will be very useful in the future. On top of all the technical stuff I learnt through the exams and college I also learnt very important interpersonal skills. I am now very confident talking to clients, my networking skills have improved, even silly things like email and telephone etiquette have been developed.

As an audit associate you're unlikely to be in the office much, instead you'll be based on client sites. The atmosphere here varies from team to team. I have been part of very dull teams and also very dynamic and fun teams. It really depends. The good news is that you'll only ever really be with a certain team for around 3 weeks

Pwc have a very structured pathway. As a placement student you do the same pathway as a graduate. This pathway includes training, college team, examinations and work experience. It is very well organised

I believe pwc invest very heavily in its graduates and placement students. They put us through many training sessions and also pay for the tuition and the aca exams.

I have been given a graduate job with PwC which is great news and really takes the pressure off in my final year

As mentioned, you peer group is essentially your social group. Since most are fresh out of uni and young it is very easy to get along etc

I lived at home so I'm not too sure. However Birmingham is a reasonably cheap place to live

I lived at home so didn't have an amazing night life. However there is a monthly social for everyone is the office which is great to catch up with everyone

PwC really push you to do some sort of community service. I didn't do any during my placement but I know there is a option to, and it is something that is encouraged