Assurance/Risk Assurance Review

It gave me the chance to see how various companies operate on a day-to-day basis, and allowed me to work with a variety of different teams.

When I was carrying out my work, if I was performing well, colleagues would always let me know, and where I was struggling, they would always go out of their way to coach me through the tasks so that I would complete them to the required standard.

My managers were always very supportive of me, keeping me up to date with the status of the tasks, as well as let me know how I was performing.

During certain parts of the year, particularly during busy season, there was a very high work load, which often required working later than normal. However, there were other times of the year where this was not the case. If I needed to leave due to non-work commitments, then they would always be flexible so that work would not get in the way.

During the course of my year at PwC I was given more and more responsiblity based on how I was performing, and based on me requesting to take ownership of particular tasks. If you wanted to take more responsibility then PwC would coach you so that you were in a position to take on the responsibility. However, if you did not want this, then they would not force it on you.

I learnt all sorts of new skills, and feel that after my year at PwC I have become much more mature. My IT skills have increased which will benefit me at university, but more importantly, it has shown me how important it is to network with people.

It was a very sociable place to work. There would be regular socials both with peers as well as with more senior members of the firm. When walking around the office, people would always be willing to stop and have a catch up.

Placement Students follow the same process as the people on the graduate scheme, so as such it was very structured and organised which was very beneficial in training us to carry out our job.

PwC put a lot of emphasis on coaching and training. In my year I spent over 6 weeks on training courses, and they also paid for us to take the first of the ACA exams.

If you perform to the standard that PwC require, then they can offer you a graduate job when you have finished.

In the first few weeks, when we were getting to know our peers, there was a lot of socialising, and this continued through the year.

It was expensive to live and socialise in London, but this is to be expected, and the atmosphere of working in the capital is very uplifting and enjoyable.

I was based right next to Leicester Square and Covent Garden which are fantastic places to go out at night.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved in teaching at local schools once a week/bi-weekly/monthly as well as other charitable activities. PwC are more than happy to help you get involved in these sorts of activities.