Summer Intern Review

I was in the Business Risk and Controls Commercial and Governance business unit within PwC UK's Risk line of service. My role involved understanding the risks facing clients and the controls they already had in place. Subsequently, we tested these controls and made recommendations on how the design of these controls could be improved and what additional controls the client would need to implement in order to mitigate potential risks. I was also involved in ensuring companies looking to get floated on the US stock exchange had the correct controls in place to meet the requirements of the Sarbanes Oxley Act.

I have both learned new skills and developed existing ones. A key part of this role is to communicate with colleagues in teams and communicate clearly with clients to help them understand what risks they face and how they can mitigate these with specific controls. As such, I have definitely improved my communication skills and also my confidence in meeting new people from across the firm. I have also developed my report writing skills, as it is important to be able to write clearly and concisely to ensure the client understands the benefit of implementing certain controls to mitigate the risks facing them.

I was given some responsibility during my placement. I was asked to write the first draft of 'Terms of Reference' reports and asked to document the answers to questions during meetings to ensure the team had a good understanding of the controls that the clients already had in place. I was also asked to write meeting agendas which involved outlining the questions that the manager needed to ask to understand the controls clients had in place. However, ultimately all of these tasks were double checked by a team member to ensure I had completed the task to a sufficient level.

I received lots of guidance and support during my internship. Not only was the manager and senior associates always on hand to answer any questions I had, but I was also given a buddy and a career coach to support me throughout my internship. My buddy was an associate I could go to ask any questions I had both formal and informal, while my career coach helped ensure I met objectives and was able to make progress with all tasks set for me.

They say 'PwC is all about the people' and I couldn't agree more. Everyone I worked with made me feel incredibly welcome and everyone I met was more than happy to give up their time to speak to me. Everyone I worked with also felt incredibly driven to deliver great outcomes for clients and so i was impressed by PwC's combination of a high performing culture that still makes time to help everyone do the best they can.

Despite the short length of the internship, and it being virtual for 2021, I had a brilliant time at PwC. I was kept busy throughout and had the opportunity to work with a number of different clients in different industries enabling me to gain a great understanding of the company and how it works with clients. All the interns were given a great level of training, there were lots of opportunities to network with others and PwC put on great events with famous individuals to create an enjoyable internship experience.

Yes

With regards to applying, I think it is key that potential applicants look at the PwC professional as it ultimately the criteria PwC recruiters measure candidates against. If you have clear examples of how you demonstrate each of the criteria then you will have a great chance of being recruited. It is also crucial to demonstrate enthusiasm and be proactive in taking any opportunities available. These two traits are essential to achieving success at PwC.