Women in Business - Assurance Review

I really enjoyed my Women in Business placement at PwC. The three days were incredibly varied, and I feel that I got a great understanding of the company and department, which I wouldn't have been able to get without this programme. It's been a very valuable experience.

I felt quite valued as everybody was willing to have conversations with me and answer my questions, and even one of the directors interacted with me in the same way he would have a trainee associate. I was made to feel very included which really helped me to feel comfortable & valued.

I received so much guidance and support! Nobody is ever too busy to answer your questions, and if anything, they were encouraged. I got set up with a buddy on the first day who I could ask any queries, and the HR team were in constant contact via email guiding me through the placement.

A lot of the skills I developed were quite specific to PwC and/or assurance and audit. Whilst this isn't specific to my degree, it will definitely help me when it comes to post-graduate employment, especially if I was to go back to PwC on a grad scheme. I gained some very transferable skills.

The structure of the insight was good, as I got to shadow a different person each day, each at different levels, and so got a good insight into the varying responsibility. However, there wasn't always a lot of work for me, and so structuring the days better to ensure work would be beneficial.

The atmosphere at PwC is great! I got to spend time in two different offices, and the atmosphere in both was really welcoming and pleasant. Everybody I met was really friendly, and I felt very comfortable. There's a general culture of inclusiveness and friendliness which is great, and really makes a difference.

The training and development I received was solely from the three people that I shadowed, so the only investment was their time. However, I was only there for 3 days so this is expected.

I got a great understanding of what it would be like to work full time and do the grad scheme. Part of this was from completing some tasks, but it was mostly from talking to a variety of people and hearing about their experience with the firm. Also, seeing the atmosphere in the offices first-hand really helped.

The insight was very helpful with helping me to understand the company culture. I got to see it first-hand but also heard employees' personal experiences and opinions. Getting to visit two different offices enhanced this, as I could see what differed by location, and which parts of the culture were core to the company.

The content of the day was quite helpful, as I got to see what it would be like to have a career in auditing. However, this was more down to conversations with people, as there was not enough content to really show me what it's like day-to-day, and I didn't get to see enough of the general tasks.

I was paid, and reimbursed expenses for travelling to anywhere other than my base office.

There was loads of opportunities to network and meet employees. I got taken round and introduced to people on my first day, and was even invited to a company meal that evening, which would have been a great chance to network if I wasn't already busy. All employees are willing to introduce themselves and talk to you.

If I had been there for longer there would've been more opportunities for me, as I heard from the employees about the high number of social activities they do. However, as I was only with the firm for three days, I didn't get the chance to join in on these activities.

I heard about activities outside of work from many employees, and they all said it was one of the best things about the firm. Everyone really seemed to enjoy these activities and said that they are frequent and a lot of fun, enjoyed by employees of all different levels across the company.

It was a great opportunity and experience, and I'm very grateful to have been able to see this company first-hand.