It wasn’t until I chose to do accounting in my second year at university that I really knew what I wanted to do for a career. The interview process with PwC was so refreshing – it was very personal and focused a lot on team work which makes sense for a role in audit.
In Assurance we cover lots of different industry sectors but I specifically work within the Financial Services sector which covers Insurance, Investment Management and Banking. Clients come to us because they have to prepare a set of financial statements for legal reasons. Our role is to verify and assess these statements are correct and report on the outcome of our work.
Learning on the job
Starting out as an Associate you’re there to do the necessary support work so that the team and the audit is running smoothly. In the beginning I was quite daunted by how little I knew, but the first year is great and it’s amazing how much you learn. I’m a newly appointed Assistant Manager now, so I have a lot more responsibility for the client relationship, coaching and mentoring junior colleagues as well as working directly with Managers and the Partner on specific projects. In fact, I’m rarely in the office these days and spend a lot of time on client site.
The rewards of qualification
The exams were difficult but achievable and qualifying in November was the best moment for me, no question. At the start, I felt like there was a mountain to climb. However, if you’re going to do professional qualifications after college you’ve got to be committed. PwC are generous with their study leave, but occasionally I had to get in early so I could leave on time. Again though, I knew that I’d get a lot out of it, so I was prepared to put a lot in.
The people make it for me here at PwC. Everyone is so friendly and as graduates, you’re in it together all the way up. The new building makes it even easier to meet people and it feels very positive being in such bright surroundings. I also love the gym - being able to go in the morning, at lunchtime or in the evening is great.
I’m now thinking about doing the tax exams too. It would be good to be qualified in both Institutes as it would give me a lot of flexibility for the future.
