PwC Accountancy Placement Review

I enjoyed the experience at PwC, and especially liked the idea of going through the first year of the grad program. The training that I received throughout my year will be valuable throughout my career and stands out a lot compared with other Placement Years. The aspect of the year that was the most enjoyable was working within a variety of teams, and getting to know the people within the department

I felt extremely valued in my time at PwC. I was very lucky to have such a good team who all supported each other throughout the year. It is true to say that the people are the ones who make your year while at PwC, and this was very much apparent in my year.

My seniors were very helpful throughout my year and provided a huge support through any stressful times. It was tough at times balancing exam stress, uni commitments and working life, but this was helped my my seniors. Although this depends on the job, occasionally seniors were not so understanding.

The work came in waves while on my time on placement. I was very busy throughout busy season (Jan-April), which provided the joys of late night finishes. However on some occasions I was allowed to finish early due to the lack of work, or the client not giving you any information needed. This flexibility meant that the hours very much vary throughout work periods.

I was given a large amount of responsibly right from the start of placement. I was sent to speak to clients alone and was given tasks of certain testing to undertake on my own. This was great for my development and was always checked by senior management to ensure no errors had been made in the work.

The training will be helpful for when I return to university due to my sitting of 5 ACA exams. This will greatly help my accountancy modules and allow me an advantage within my final year of uni. The training will also help in future jobs and further interviews. There is a large focus on training and development within the company.

The atmosphere was the key thing I enjoyed most around the office. The hot desking means you get to know new people everyday, not just your single intake. The graduate intake made the experience exciting and I have met many great friends. There was constant office fun such as challenges, bake offs and office parties.

The work placement could be improved in many aspects. It was often challenging to contact anyone concerning the work placement scheme as to the next steps within the process. This became a challenge when trying to process what would be helpful for increasing chances of obtaining a job. The scheme should have more clarity from the outset and help understand what differs a placement from a grad scheme.

They invested the ACA college and training and exam time which was very helpful for personal development. My seniors spent a lot of time coaching me through activities that will be helpful when returning to the job. Placement students receive all the training that other graduates receive in addition to this.

The prospects within the organisation are high and unless there is a major issue while on placement you are likely to be offered a job at the organisation after completion of the year. Although it can be more complicated to try a different line of service while on the scheme, so it is often advised to accept the job in your given line of service.

The social scene was extremely good within the work placements, but mostly with fellow graduates not other work placement students. This was enhanced by the fact I was working in London which allowed more flexibility in the social scene. Also team and social group socials meant that other areas of the business could be explored and I met lots of different work levels.

It was an expensive area to work in and socialise in. I was lucky to live at home but to pay rent in the area is very expensive and hard to live off the salary and pay rent. The socialising is also expensive with London prices quite high. Travel to work on the tube also greatly increases daily costs.

I got involved in the social group social committee which was great fun and an opportunity to work with different people. PwC also offer community days where it is possible to spend the day in the community helping in gardens and charities etc. This is a great scheme and allowed for people to come together to enhance the community.