Corporate Tax Intern Review

Not only was the scheme insightful and very valuable, but it was also a remarkably enjoyable experience. I enjoyed the work that I was doing on a day to day basis, the atmosphere in the office, and the variety of clients and jobs I got to work on. The days went quickly, and the 6 weeks flew by.

The team all went out of their way to make me feel more valuable than my role would suggest. Staff of all grades would take time out of their day to ask how I was getting on, see what work I was doing, and try to gain more of an understanding of how I was enjoying my time.

The buddy/Career Coach setup meant that I always had multiple people to go to for advice and support. As well as this, everyone else in the office was happy to help out and offer me an help, whether it was a matter of knowledge, understanding, what to do in a certain situation, or simply how to use the printer.

Given that I come from a BA background, I picked up skills that I'd never encountered before and they made me far more prepared for graduate life than my degree. My business acumen in particular developed hugely, as well as my knowledge of tax, insights into particular industries, and how to act in an office dynamic.

The structure was faultless. The 4 day residential induction provided a chance to find my feet and understand the basics without being thrown into the office environment. There was then a clear idea of what I was doing over the ensuing 6 weeks, and my role was always well defined and considered.

Particularly within the Cambridge office, I really enjoyed the atmosphere. I was treated to multiple lunches during my first week as a way of getting to know people, and I felt that I could approach anyone at any time. People with far busier lives than myself made sure they had the time to make me feel welcome.

The firm gave me access to all of their training material, which meant that even when client work was short, I had plenty to do to prepare myself for a potential future in the role. The induction finished with a fully paid for partner/director dinner, which showed how much they were willing to put into my experience.

My job was fairly similar to that of a first year associate, without the exams, so I feel that full time insights were very easy to gain. I understood what day to day life as an associate would be like, and also got to witness the life of higher up members of staff at close range.

I really got an idea of PwC's culture: their global-mindedness, their focus on innovation, their client-first approach and the importance of office atmosphere. Clients' value was made clear, and just about everyone I spoke to over the course of the 6 weeks seemed to fit the PwC 'mould', which is certainly testament to the atmosphere they create.

It really helped in terms of understanding whether I wanted to continue down the corporate tax path or not. I got an idea of what the job was like more than any amount of reading could offer me, and I certainly believe I got to see the ins and outs of the job at all levels.

I was paid more than adequately. Particularly in a climate where so many internships are unpaid due to high levels of competition and the race to a more complete CV, to be paid at the same rate as a full time member of the firm is something that I am particularly grateful for.

There were countless opportunities: the interaction with staff at the induction, the partner/director dinner, the meals with other members of stuff in the Cambridge Office, the opportunity to meet and talk to other members of the region, I could go on. I felt that during my 6 weeks I got to speak to a huge variety of people from all over the firm.

There were plenty of networking and social event opportunities, particularly during the induction. I also felt that although these weren't so explicit during my period of work, I felt very well acquainted with a number of people, even though I was the only tax intern, so there was certainly opportunity to network in a less forced manner.

Unfortunately, the activities didn't overlap with my internship, which was inconvenient. I was made aware of sports teams, charity nights, and other events that were happening outside of this time frame, however there was little in the way of activities during my time in the office, perhaps due to the lack of numbers with everyone taking annual leave during August time.

I would undoubtedly recommend this insight to a friend. It gave me experience, a wealth of knowledge, and contacts that I will be sure to keep, regardless of whether I come back to work full time next September, which is something that I'm fairly set on doing anyway. It was a fantastic experience, to the extent where I'm a bit upset to be graduating this year, as I won't get to do it again!