Women In Business Placement Review

Overall you were mostly shadowing an employee and speaking to professionals in that sector. You are also given access to the internal network so can have a look at their platforms to see what It would be like if you were to work there. The first day also did involve an induction to go over some important information and then the employee you shadow set up some meetings with different individuals. I got the chance to speak to many inspiring women and connected with them on Linkedin.

I have definitely improved my networking skills as before I did not feel comfortable asking people if I could add them on LinkedIn. I also sent follow up messages or personal invites which built my confidence. A skill I have developed would definitely be my conversational skills, I usually struggle to find the right time to speak especially if its virtual as I don't want to interrupt anyone but after 3 days I think I have gotten good at reading cues.

I did not get an understanding of all the roles available - only the one I applied for however speaking to many people does allow you to get a good understanding of the specific role and answer any questions. I do wish there was an introduction to all the business units on the first day along with a list of key contacts so you could send them a message in your own time or attend a drop in meeting.

Brilliant and warm company culture. Everyone I spoke to seemed genuinely happy and there seems to be a lot of perks and benefits working for the company. I also learnt they offer excellent maternity pay and do a lot for women to ensure there is no gender imbalances in the workplace. Flexible working is also possible and encouraged which is nice to hear. They also have many networks and personally I am fond of the social mobility network which holds 3000 members.

I enjoyed it a lot. For 3 days I certainly did learn a lot about pwc and my chosen business line - much more than I expected. For an improvement I would suggest having more breaks in between sessions and definitely keeping a bottle of water on you as you do end up talking a lot and wont have time in between meetings to grab one. It was nice that I was able to see my schedule on the first day so I knew what to expect every day

Yes

Firstly, Just be yourself as they are accepting of all personalities and do advertise this. Make sure you really research about the company and their values. The line of business you are applying to is also important so even if you aren't sure what exactly it is - its good to know a few brief sentences along with a motivation of why you have chosen it. There is a video interview so practice that and ensure there is good lighting!