Ms Review

It was a great experience. I was impressed to see that the majority were females and the age group varied from first year students to masters. The days were busy but all the talks were interesting so the long days did not feel like a burden. The partner who gave us a welcome presentation was honest about the firm. He did not shy away from the issue of gendre equality or press criticisms. The debate was a fantastic idea for groups to work together, get to know each other and be proud of their end speech. The one issue I had with the debate was the questionning. Teams were allowed to ask the opposition questions for about 5-10 minutes. However, teams weren't given turns to ask questions so for some debates the questions were one sided.

During the networking dinner we were treated as equals and so it was easy to have a good conversation with the managers/partners. From the start we were given credit for the work we had done so far to get in to the talent academy

During our debate preparation, any questions we had were always answered but generally the debate was to show a group's ability to act independent so we didn't seek much guidance. The majority of the time was spent in talks so little support/guidance was needed.

Not particularly useful for university but we were given good advice for any future interviews. The dinner with managers/partners gave me a far better insight into the process of getting an accounting qualification.

There was plenty to do but we were also given regular breaks to network with others. Our welcome packs included all the information necessary for talks and where we needed to be.

This is where most of the success of the Talent Academy lies. The atmosphere was always positive and more informal than expected which made it easier to settle in to. At the meal we discussed football and travelling with the managers so it wasn't entirely business focused.

The talent academy was more of an insight into the firm. We gain some skills from the debate such as team work and presentations but most activities involved presentations about the firm.

We had specific line of service talks as well as a talk summarising all lines of service. Even in such a short space of time i felt that my understanding of a full time role at PWC was greatly improved.

More detail could have been given into company culture. The majority of the focus was what each department's role entailed.

We had a talk where employee from all lines of service gave a description of their area and job. Personally, this help me realised exactly which area of PWC was best suited for me.

We were encouraged to network during all the break we had. We met employees through our specific line of service talks and at the dinner. The managers/partners rotated seats during the meal which meant we could speak to many individuals from many lines of service. Employees also approached us during lunch to get any advice on how the talent academy should be improved.

It was a good opportunity to meet like minded individuals. the ice-breaker challenge was a fantastic way to briefly meet everyone at the academy. More ice-breakers or activities could have been organised for networking events.

Briefly at the meal we discussed PWC sports clubs

Absolutely, you get a chance to meet people you may end up doing a summer internship with. Everyone who attends are similar so you are bound to get along with everyone