Talent Academy - Tax Review

The insight was overall very enjoyable. We took park in a wide range of activities including sector-specific tasks (for me this meant I was with members of PwC's tax teams) and wide-ranging business tutorials. I selected Technology and Commercial Awareness as my two elective sessions and thought both were beneficial and enjoyable, with Commercial Awareness being the more interesting of the two for me.

It was challenging for staff to make each member of the insight feel personally valued because of just how many of us were present for the two day experience. Splitting off into our elective sessions and our sector-specific sessions allowed staff to get more out of us, which was especially enjoyable. The discussion/debate at the end of the two days was also a chance for each of us to feel personally valued as every member of the team got a chance to speak and voice their opinions.

There was certainly guidance and support whenever it was required. For example, during the discussion/debate at the end of the Spring Talent Academy, we had a few hours with our teams to plan our speeches, and during this time, there were always members of PwC staff around to answer any questions we may have had. Furthermore, the Tax staff were especially engaging and helpful when it came to specific questions regarding their department within PwC.

I think that the sessions entitled "PwC Professional" and "PwC Professional (Strategy)" were the most helpful sessions moving forward with my degree and moving into the world of work. These sessions gave a good insight of the skills necessary to become a full-time employee at a firm such as PwC and how to excel in a role within PwC.

The structure of the two days was almost faultless. Timings were kept strictly which helped the experience to run smoothly and all of the work rooms were within a 2 minute walk of each other so you were never too far from your next session. The structure of each session was well-defined and this allowed gave good clarity, especially when it came to the "PwC Professional" sessions which are clearly crucial for those wanting to gain a more permanent role in the company in the future.

The atmosphere was very good for the vast majority of the two days. Many of the other candidates I met on the experience had similar interests to me and so we all got on very well. The "Networking & Dinner with PwC" session at the end of the 2nd day was especially enjoyable as it lightened the mood and allowed me to ask questions to PwC staff in a more relaxing environment.

The sessions were aimed primarily at the development of those of us on the Talent Academy and I so I feel there was a god level of investment from PwC. PwC also paid for accommodation for us and allowed travel expenses for those who travelled a long way to the conference centre.

During the "Networking & Dinner with PwC" session, I was fortunate to be sitting next to the one member of PwC staff on our table and so I took the opportunity to ask lots of questions about life within the company and I tried to gain an insight into her background within PwC, which lasted more than 15 years.

The culture of PwC became clear from sessions such as the "Partner Welcome" and the "Networking & Dinner with PwC" because it gave us a chance to hear from those people who have spent, in some cases, their whole working life at the company. To contrast that, it also allowed us to ask those who had moved from other firms how the culture at PwC compares to the culture at their other employers.

Whilst the Talent Academy confirmed that I would love to pursue a career with PwC, we only had a sessions lasting 1 hour 15 minutes on our chosen line of service (which for me was Tax). I feel we could have used at least double this time as so many of us had Tax-specific questions to ask. Clearly there were other opportunities to ask these questions but a longer time period with the chosen live of service may be more valuable in helping candidates decide if their chosen line of service is right for them moving forward.

Travel expenses were paid for in full. There was also the opportunity for those who lived far away from Birmingham to stay overnight at the hotel the night before the Talent Academy started, which was extremely helpful and was also paid for completely. Everyone was put up in the hotel for the night between days 1 and 2 of the insight.

The networking and dinner opportunity was extremely valuable as it allowed me to ask as many questions as I had, and to a wide range of different members of PwC staff, in different teams and with different backgrounds and thus with different opinions. This was an extremely enjoyable and important part of the Talent Academy as it gave us all a chance to talk to Directors, Managers and Partners with an abundance of advice and wisdom in their chosen area.

The networking and dinner opportunity was extremely valuable as it allowed me to ask as many questions as I had, and to a wide range of different members of PwC staff, in different teams and with different backgrounds and thus with different opinions. This was an extremely enjoyable and important part of the Talent Academy as it gave us all a chance to talk to Directors, Managers and Partners with an abundance of advice and wisdom in their chosen area.

I do not remember specifically focusing on this topic, however it may have come up as part of another subject session. I do remember the PwC partner talking about what he personally does outside of work for PwC but I cannot recall a general overview being given of the opportunities outside of work.

The insight was a very valuable experience and it confirmed to me that I want to work PwC in the future. I would have liked the Talent Academy to have more focus on my chosen elective but I understand that the experience was also about informing us all of the culture within PwC and how to progress further with applications with PwC roles in mind. Being able to network with many Senior PwC employees was extremely valuable and an experience I will remember for a long time.