Business Placement Review

I had the best 13 months on placement with PwC. I had the opportunity to work on numerous projects so I could really get a feel for the company and the job role. I also got to work with colleagues from a range of grades from fellow business placements, senior associates, senior managers and directors which was great exposure.

As well as integrating into the team, all business placements tend to start together so you have a group from start to finish to share the journey with. The culture in PwC is very supportive and there is always someone there to turn to whether it’s about work or something else.

I was given unbelievable support by my whole team, including my manager and my career coach. Both were there to give me guidance about my placement journey from start to finish and I have maintained strong relationships beyond my placement. Having these relationships will definitely help when I turn upon graduating.

PwC is a very challenging but very rewarding company to work for. Some days there may be a lot of work on and deadlines to meet but the rewards both intrinsic and extrinsic make it definitely worth it. I am also able to balance my studies a lot more since returning to uni

I fortunately had many opportunities to take responsibility of things such as my workload, team activities, team meetings, projects, project meetings and organising events. Myself and the others were definitely not treated like business placements and I really felt like a valuable asset to the team and the wider business

One of my main takeaways from my placement was growing in confidence. Through the formal training I received and the coaching from each member of my team and career coach, I was able to develop both professionally and personally. I also developed my presentation skills and communication skills more naturally as you are given opportunities to stretch these abilities.

Fortunately my team sat in a very open and collaborative environment allowing us to communicate effectively and share ideas. The more you network and work with others, the more faces you know around the office and everyone is always keen to catch up and hear about how things are going across the business.

I found the whole process relatively easy. I initially applied to another placement in the UK but last minute the position was filled after I was told I was successful at the assessment centre stage. However I was encouraged to apply to another vacancy and from there is was a very smooth process. Looking back I’m glad it worked out the way it did!

I was very fortunate to have the most supporting team that only wanted me to get the most out of my placement. I was encouraged to take every opportunity I could. To show their appreciation I was nominated and won an award at an annual strategy day and I received money vouchers!

With my hard work and determination to make the most out of my placement year I have secured a graduate job for when I finish my studies. This is a huge weight off my shoulders and means I can focus on my final year studies and achieving a first class degree.

As well as the business placements going social activities with our business placement champions, the whole business also did First Friday socials every month to raise money for charity. Every team also gets a budget too so we have a few meals and drinks after work to celebrate our hard work. It’s a good feeling to let your hair down after a tough week with everyone who has been in the same boat!

I worked in Belfast and because that’s where I’m from I knew the good places to go for drinks and good food. The socials usually had drinks tokens too which reduced the price of drinks! Although Belfast isn’t too expensive anyway. Travel is decent too. I didn’t drive as it was a lot cheaper for me to get the bus which left me off 2 min walk away from the office.

I didn’t go on very many big nights out that often as I prefer to go for more casual drinks. Belfast caters for both so whatever kind of night you feel like having Belfast will more than likely have a place for you! There are a lot of cool bars especially around Cathedral Quarter.

As I was heavily involved in a lot of work related projects inside work I didn’t get a proper chance to get involved in much outside of work. I do know for a fact I will make a conscious effort to look at what all is available when I return however.