Auditor Review

I enjoyed my work placement year as it allowed me to gain an insight into audit which I would not have been able to achieve otherwise from a scientific background. It provided me with many different tasks and gave me an oversight of what it is like to work in a professional services firm.

I feel that on the whole I was made to feel a valued member of any team that I was working with. They all made attempts to ensure understanding and through continuity I was able to work with many colleagues on multiple occasions, further building relationships. It was also a very friendly environment due to a large cohort.

We were provided by a personal tutor that we would meet regularly and could message whenever we needed advice or help. I found that it did not matter the time of day/night there was always someone that could answer my questions whether these were work related or not. Job managers were always available to help with work related questions.

At first there were many less busy periods or days during my placement, however while there were days where this was the case as the placement progressed the amount of free time reduced. Overtime was frequently required on most jobs that I was part of, and at times I was required to work weekends.

As my placement progressed and I had gained a better understanding of what was needed I was given more responsibilities and roles, from different levels of seniority in the teams. This culminated in being able to work independently on assurance tasks whilst on client sites without any supervision from senior members of staff.

Whilst the personal and networking skills I have developed have aided me in my development and will be useful in future development, the work will not aid me with my degree. This is due to studying a Biochemistry degree that does not have a need for any accounting knowledge. It will help however on my return to work.

The office worked in a hot desk environment with a dress or your day policy. This generated a more relaxed feeling during the working day which allowed for more work to be completed. It was also good as it allowed teams to sit with each other and complete tasks. Overall it was a friendly environment.

It was very well organised as it had set dates that would allow for planning for events such as internal training and exams. College dates were highlighted on our online timetables so we were always able to plan where we needed to be in advance. This was not always the case however on on occasion jobs were changed very last minute leading to stressful situations.

They do their upmost to ensure you are developing during the placement year, through the rotation of jobs where you are able to use skills previously gained in other roles. They also invest in you by funding your professional qualification and studies, from which I have been able to complete 7 of 15 ACA exams during my placement.

I think that the future prospects of employment within PwC are very high and would thoroughly recommend anyone with an interest in finance or audit to apply for a placement role or graduate opportunity. I have been offered a provisional job based on my placement year with PwC and I am looking forwards to returning.

PwC in the midlands has a cohort of around 28 graduates/ placement students each year, which in turn generates a very young workforce that are wanting to take part and run the social events for the workplace. There is a large social budget that allows for summer and Christmas balls, away days and meals at the end of jobs.

Living at home I was able to save money by not having to pay rent, however it can be said that the midlands are not overly expensive as an area to live in and socialise. There is also something for everyone on any budget so there were plenty of things to do in order to socialise with my cohort.

The nightlife in Nottingham was very good which is where the majority of the grads/ placement students lived. Some others lived in surrounding areas that meant travel was necessary for nights out which may have been an inconvenience to some. On the whole though there was something in the nightlife for everyone.

There were plenty of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, such as away days for the whole firm, or football and netball teams for anyone to be a member of. The only downside to this was that often the location of work away from the central office and the overtime required meant that it was not possible to attend these events.