He started at PwC as an intern, but instead of routine tasks, he ventured into more complex areas and soon made a career leap. Today, Jakub Hudrlík is a senior audit analyst in the financial sector and is slowly planning his next steps. How did he achieve such a rapid take-off? And how does he combine a demanding job with daily exercise?
At PwC, you audit the financial sector. Have you always been interested in this field?
Basically, yes. I studied for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees while working at Škoda. My focus was on financial management and then international finance. My courses included accounting and quite a few semester papers focused on financial statements and notes. It was accounting that gradually began to interest me more and more. Then I tried my luck at PwC and soon started there as an intern, eventually staying for two and a half years.
You went straight from intern to a senior audit analyst position. How did you manage to skip that one career step?
I have to admit that I didn’t really enjoy the interns’ work, so I finished it quickly and started focusing on more complex issues. When my seniors entrusted me with something, I wanted to complete the task as a whole and, above all, to understand everything fully. Not just replace last year’s numbers with new ones. I also tried to watch closely the people who joined me as full-time auditors, applying new knowledge to my tasks, and thus I managed to create added value. Thanks to this, I had no problem advising other full-time colleagues and keeping up with them.
Is this the way to succeed at PwC?
Certainly. The most important thing is to take responsibility for the area you work in. For instance, we usually have client bookings for a week. There is therefore a big difference between someone who comes in on Monday and leaves on Friday, and someone who goes over the missing items with me on Friday. At that point, we agree on what I will take over and what they will finish on their own the following week. This way, they cover the entire area and complete the task assigned to them. When someone is dealing with, for example, an audit of a company’s operating costs, they should understand that it’s not just about invoices and amounts. They should be aware of what the operating costs mean to the client and how they are accounted for. In short, it’s about finishing everything and handing it over so that the next person in line doesn’t have to spend unnecessary extra time on it.
„When my seniors entrusted me with something, I wanted to complete the task as a whole and, above all, to understand everything fully. Not just replace last year’s numbers with new ones.“
How important is the team to you at PwC?
The team is one of my priorities. We place a lot of emphasis on strengthening team spirit. We often go for a beer after work and we also have after-work get-togethers so that teams working on different clients can meet. We go to football matches, various events and barbecues, so we also spend a lot of our free time together.
How do you see your future at PwC? Do you want to continue growing at lightning speed, or are you happy where you are?
I want to learn as much as possible in my current position so that I have a chance to become a manager soon. This requires passing the ACCA exams, so I need to study hard now. But it takes four or five years to become a junior manager, which is a position between a senior and a manager. Therefore, I see more potential in gaining as much knowledge as possible before I finish the ACCA. Hopefully, then the path to becoming a manager will be that much faster.
Do you even have time for fun?
I’m a big sportsperson and have been playing rugby since secondary school. My parents didn’t let me play before (laughter). I’m not a professional, but I still train three times a week. We have matches at the weekends and I usually manage to go to the gym as well. But even during the week, it’s pretty easy to juggle everything. Especially in this season, because we work nine hours a day. When I have training, I start at seven so I can finish between four and five. I play both fifteen-a-side and the lesser-known thirteen-a-side rugby, even in the top league and for the national team.
Have a look at the offer of vacant positions at PwC.
