PwC academy 2011 Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Academy and I would highly recommend it to others. The work throughout the day was never boring and dull but exciting and very rewarding. I was genuinely sad when the academy had come to an end.

Everybody was incredibly friendly and welcoming throughout my time there. Everybody listened to each other throughout the course of the academy and every individual's thoughts and views were valued and respected. This made the whole experience even better and enjoyable.

We always had support from supervisors throughout every activity we did. They were always happy to help or answer any questions we had. I never felt once that I was on my own or there was nobody that I could turn to. The fact that all the management staff there were so friendly meant everybody was constantly supported throughout the course.

The academy is relatively hard work and we always had something to do in the day. The best way to approach it is to have the mentality that you are there to work and learn. However the academy is supposed to be short and intense so it was what I and everyone else there expected. Even though we were kept busy all the activities we were given were challenging and very enjoyable.

As we were always given activities to do, each member of every group had an equal share of responsibility. The majority of activities that we did were essentially about team work and working efficiently in a team. Therefore each member had equal responsibility in doing what was best for the group that they were working in. There were never any team leaders appointed in the tasks which meant the responsibilities were shared equally among the group.

I personally benefitted from my time with PwC massively. I learnt some vital, lifelong skills during a short space of time that will stay with me forever. I value these skills so highly that I strongly believe that they will not only help me in my degree but throughout my career.

Everyday there was always an upbeat and pleasant atmosphere. Due to the fact everyone there was so welcoming and friendly it meant the atmosphere was constantly cheery and lively.

The overall placement was incredibly well set up. I always knew what was going on and never felt in the dark about anything during my time there. They always made sure we knew what was planned throughout the day well in advance so we always knew what to expect on a daily basis.

The company were very considerate and went to extreme lengths to please everybody. They made sure that we spoke to a huge variety of different people in the company at all sorts of stages. We spoke to employees who had just started working there, ones that had been there for 10/15 years and some that were partners or senior partners in the company. As a few of us didn’t know what department we would like to join the most it was particularly good that we managed to speak to employees from all the departments . The fact that a large proportion of them came from all over the country to speak to us showed PwC’s dedication to the academy and how much they valued us.

PwC is a highly recognised and prestigious firm to be involved with. Any involvement with them therefore looks very impressive to other employers, even if you realise later on that PwC isn’t for you. I myself was offered an internship for 6weeks in the summer after the academy but even if I wasn’t I wouldn’t think for a second that it was a waste of time. Having PwC interested in you can only be a good thing and this will be apparent to other potential employers.

During the academy I made some very good friends that I still speak to now. Even though we came from all over the country and only had a short time together everyone there bonded and became good friends by the end of our time there. We still keep in contact with one another and hopefully we’ll bump into one another in the future.

Everything was free during the academy including our travel. Our room was completely paid for and we had three course meals every day that were completely paid for. We even had a free bar for two nights!

During the academy we didn't go outside of the hotel at night. However we had events on every night in the hotel so it was never dull and there was always something to do.

The academy is a short and intense course so considering we only spent three nights there, there was no time to set up or get involved in any activities.