Summer Tax Intern Review

I very much enjoyed my time at PwC. It was a great experience, and is fantastic for figuring out whether a company such as this is right for you by you getting some real experience within the firm itself.

My colleagues, at all levels, always made me feel valued and appreciated. If ever there was any work, they would always be looking to get me involved, and always being thankful and helpful on completion of that work.

The support and guidance at PwC is very very good. All work comes with feedback on a slick tool called 'SnapShot' which tells you where your strengths are, and what areas you can improve on. Due to PwC's more fluid working structure, support and guidance was always on hand.

Most days there was always something to be doing that was meaningful and engaging - and most of the time I felt like I had a good amount of work to be doing. However, there were lulls, I would have to find things to do that were sometimes not as fulfilling as they could have been. Overall, a good level.

I was given far more responsibility than I assumed I would have been given, and that was only a positive thing. Working on real client projects, and putting together work for important parts of the firms machinations was very rewarding.

The skills that being here for 6 weeks has given me, no doubt, are going to be valuable going forward. Having the discipline to get up, go to work, meet your deadlines, and interact with people in a business environment are all very important, and I feel they will keep me in good stead going forward.

The general atmosphere in the office was welcoming, friendly, and relaxed. Everyone would be willing to lend you a hand if you needed it, and the office was never short of a conversation or a goings-on. It wasn't completely devoid of a traditional corporate atmosphere, but definitely more welcoming that I expected.

This would be my only criticism of the work placement at PwC. There was very little structure to the scheme, which did mean that it felt much more 'real', and certainly the more laissez-faire nature of the scheme did have its perks. However, sometimes the scheme lacked direction, and this impacted day-to-day consistency.

The firm invested in me to a good extent over the time I have been here. I had access to online learning portals, as well as being assigned a buddy and a People Manager to give me advice and monitor my progress. The biggest level of investment comes naturally just through building skills and working at PwC - which is certainly positive.

Future prospects here at PwC are really fantastic. There is a clear career progression going forward, and the opportunities to work overseas or in different areas of the business are huge. It really is a great company to work for going forward, and there isn't really a limit to how far you can go. I was made an offer to stay on after university and I am surely going to take it.

There was a good atmosphere amongst the other interns, although I was in Tax, and the other three interns were in Audit, which did split things slightly - but overall, it was friendly and everyone got on really well. In terms of a social scene outside of work, there was less of an involvement.

The cost of living and socialising in Cambridge is pretty high, and costs can catch up on you quickly. That isn't to say that it isn't worth it, and it is probably cheaper than living/working in somewhere like London, but the absolute cost is pretty high.

I didn't particularly experience the nightlife during my placement, but living near the area, the clubs and nightlife is good! There is pretty much something for everyone in Cambridge - there are pubs, hipstery little spots, or the usual 'horrible-but-we-go-every-week' clubs. So yeah, the nightlife is good.

There were a few, but these were largely for the staff-proper as opposed to the interns due to internship season being the 'lull' time. There are sports teams that play within the firm, and there are always a few things floating around here and there. However, like I say, I don't know whether the opportunities outside the firm were amazing for interns.