Associate in Assurance Review

I am very shy and PwC like to throw you in at the deep end, which for me was very deep! The people were nice and willing to help though. Long hours were regular practice. You do however join with a peer group which is great for help and support throughout it all, although most social things are alcohol related, which wasn't good for me, but most people like such things!

Although you change clients reasonably regularly sometimes, you quickly get to know your team, and each person is given their parts of the work that needs to be completed, so you are appreciated for finishing your work to a good standard, as it lowers the work others have to do.

Everyone is generally willing to answer any questions, although they are busy they will make time for you. Support is offered from your teams, but also by a People manager you are assigned to check on your wellbeing and to help you work through feedback. You are also assigned buddies from the intake a year before yourself to answer any small queries you may have and to make you feel welcome.

There were occasions where I may be sitting there for a few hours with very little to do and suddenly I would have lots piled on me right near the end of the day, and alternatively there were times I would have large amounts of work all at once. It was varied and depended on your teams, but there was always work that could be done, so it was rare you would not be needed!

You were assigned tasks and expected to do them, although you could ask for assistance you were essentially in charge of those jobs and they would expect you to complete them. You're level of responisibility increases as you become more experienced, but even the least experienced is given a reasonable amount. Again however it depended on the teams you were put onto to.

The skills will be useful in almost any job that I get in future as accounting and general interaction skills are needed across a variety of things in life.

You are not often in the office on an assurance placement, as you are based at your clients, and so with hot desking you don't always know the people around you. It can be fun with your team at your clients, however again that depends on your team and the client!

The placement scheme has been running for a number of years, and you are treated the same as a graduate so you essentially go on the graduate scheme, with the main difference being that they assess part way through whether to offer you a graduate role and that you finish in the summer. This is made clear, and you receive emails letting you know of anything that needs to be done, and you also have a peer group to refer to if anything is unclear.

The firm invested a large amount in placement students, allowing you to do 6 out of 15 ACA examinations and having at least 4 weeks of training and induction activities on top of this. If you are offered a full time position after you graduate you are also given the chance to do the next 3 examinations bringing the total possible to complete on the placement upto 9.

Over 90 percent of placement students are offered a full time position with the firm, as they invest so much in you, it is rare to not get a full time offer. I have therefore been offered a place after I graduate conditional on getting a 2:1 in my degree.

There were regularly meetings with my peers organised, with people going to the pub every friday, and a few trips being organised amongst us. As you join with so many others (70 others were hired at the same time in the same department as myself) you generally make quite good friends with at least a few. There are also social groups within the company, which are each given a budget and so you will have drinks and meals and possibly an away day with colleagues in your social group a few times a year.

I was based in London, which is very expensive, however salaries do reflect this!

I'm not much of a nightlife person, but there are alot of places in London and a great variety so it is a great place for those that enjoy nightlife more than myself!

If you looked for the opportunities then there were many, as there were groups, and sports teams throughout the company.