Flying start Review

On a day to day basis I do testing of areas of a company's financial statements. This includes going to the client's offices and talking with their finance team to get the evidence that I need for my tests. I test areas such as expenses, payroll, accruals and revenue.

Whilst on my placements I have learned several new skills. The main skill that I have developed is my confidence when speaking to people I have never met before, such as clients or new team members. As my knowledge of accounting has developed, my self belief has also increased which has helped my performance

I really enjoy my programme as there is an excellent balance of time spent at university and time spent away on placement. The money that we earn in placement allows us to enjoy our summer breaks without the need for a part time job to help us afford luxuries such as holidays

The programme is extremely well structured. There is a team of people from the university, pwc and the icaew which help organise our course, each taking responsibility for different areas. It has a very clear structure that we are made aware of at the beginning of the course. The exams are structured well.

We receive a lot of support from our employer. When we join we are assigned a buddy and a career coach who are there for us if we have any needs or problems. Making friends at work has allowed me to receive help for exams and other tough parts of the degree.

We receive lots of support from the uni. We have lots of lectures and small group seminars. They are always available inbetween their teaching commitments to answer any questions or queries we have. They are also all available over the phone or email whilst we are away on placement which is reassuring.

Having the knowledge that we get from our exams, financial accounting and reporting in particular, helps immensely with being able to contextualise the work and allows me to think more deeply about the testing that I am doing. Audit and assurance is another very helpful exam for our time at work.

During my placements I have been to several social events. I have been to several christmas parties and a summer parties. As an office we have had numerous socials including sushi making, escape rooms and inter office football matches. These have allowed me to get to know my colleagues better.

Yes

The programme allows us to mix time spent at university studying with time spent away on placement doing work. During the programme I have done 12 of the 15 exams, and have done half of the days towards my qualification. You make great connections for people that will work all round the country

I think that if I had to give advice to someone that was applying to PwC, I would tell them to factor in that there are 15 exams required to pass and qualify as a chartered accountant. These can be quite hard and you have to mix work with studying.