Intern - Tax Review

The placement gave me a very realistic insight into the way the firm operates. I come away with a clear understanding of the culture, structure and vision of the firm. I find that these really align with who I am and glad that I was able to realise this over the past 6 weeks.

Everyone was very open and friendly. Questions were encouraged and I was invited along to every social that went on, starting from promotion drinks on day one. My colleagues made me feel like I was a part of the firm. I was valued, supported and encouraged to grow.

PwC has a very flat culture. On my fourth day I was looking over spreadsheets one-on-one with partners. Support came from everywhere, not only my assigned supervisors. From Associate through to Partner level, everyone seemed equally invested in my development. At times, I was left alone but that is an equally important part of support and development.

Busyness came in waves. On occasion I was swamped with assignments and sometimes I was scrolling through people's diaries to find meetings to jump on. That is how project-based business works. I was never expected to respond outside working hours or stay after 17:30.

Depends what you consider to be responsibility. Despite all of the given support, I was in charge of my personal development. I was asking to join meetings, help with reports etc. That is how I made the most of every day. Other interns, in comparison, weren't able to get as involved without this drive. I was even had a work experience girl assigned to me for shadowing. In terms of actual business work (running projects etc.) it was pretty hard to take charge with my non-existent technical knowledge. Despite this, I had the opportunity to take on the most responsibility and occasionally more that I reasonably could with the knowledge I had.

I study Philosophy and my internship was in Tax. Very little technical knowledge that can transfer across and be useful here. As for soft skills, I really learnt to put my hand up and have a drive. This, I believe can be transformational in my career. The technical knowledge that I did get to scrape, gives me a better understanding of the world as a business and will help me make more informed career choices in the future.

We had at least 5 socials in the 6 weeks that I was here. PwC is all about its people. The atmosphere was very collaborative and encouraged us to work together both within and beyond the office.

At a first glance, the internship lacked rigidness. There was no set project or presentation that I was graded on at the end. Nevertheless, with time I began to realise that the firm itself functions in a very fluid manner. As an intern, it was very important to see that to understand what PwC is all about.

There was a 3-day residential induction at the beginning of the internship, which crunched through quite a bit of general technical knowledge and overall firm values. After that, I attended a couple of training sessions at the office along with the Associates. Everyone here is sitting the ACA and CTA. So, if the firm didn't invest in me to that extent, I can see how it does for its full time employees.

I see PwC as a very supportive collaborative environment where individuals are bound for growth. The firm offers boundless opportunities such as secondments both with foreign PwC offices and some client companies. There is huge opportunity to grow and the limit is set by you. For the next couple of years, growth and development takes priority for me, which makes this firm very appealing.

The 3-day induction provided a very valuable bonding experience between the interns, however at the office we were a little more dispersed. There was not another intern on my team but there were two on my floor. We often went for lunch and drinks together to compare our experiences. We also had work experience interns coming in and out and tried our best to include them in lunches and work.

My office was in London Bridge but I was living with my parents. The food places around are very nice and you can get lunch for £8+. We often went out with colleagues for food or drinks (whenever the firm organised this).

I don't really like clubbing so not the best person to ask. However, I've hear its pretty good.

Yes, there were many socials after work, paid for by the firm, involving food, drinks and activities.