This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
Although this placement is incredibly useful in terms of kickstarting your career, and the potential of a graduate job after completing your degree it is extremely hard work, and the hours can be extremely long (and no overtime is paid). However the people at PwC are fantastic, so your team helps pull you through the long long hours!
The thing that makes PwC great is the people at the firm. You join with a large peer group and you all become the best of friends.
You are given a buddy and a people manager at PwC who help with your integration within the firm, your development and performance appraisal
You never get an hr or two with nothing to do. Generally you have too much work on, particularly in busy season when you can be working 70 hr + weeks.
Although your work is reviewed and you receive coaching, PwC trust you entirely and your work is valued and not undermined.
Next year, the skills and exams I have developed and completed during PwC will help me a lot.
The Company
When in the office and sat in your audit teams, the atmosphere is generally great which helps counteract the workload. However it can be less fun during busy season when everybody is too busy to look up from their screens
It is well organised, but if your university expects you to write an essay, as mine did, it can be extremely difficult to fit the time in.
The training programme is one of the biggest pluses for this placement!
Company Parties/Events
It's definitely worth trying to get a job and complete at least the training contract to set you up for your future career.
The Culture
The entire peer group was fantastic and a perfect way for us all to feel integrated within the firm.
If you had time to socialise, Birmingham can be relatively expensive but very dependant upon where you go
General Birmingham nightlife - good range!
There were many opportunities, but they were often dependent on how tired you were and if you had too much work on!
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
West Midlands
June 2011