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Overall, the placement was very enjoyable and provided a great deal of insight into the world of audit and PwC as a firm. The experience was well structured and provided a variety of work based experience as well as opportunities to socialise around work which added to the overall experience.

During the placement it was made clear to me that the firm valued its interns; as an intern I worried I would not be listened to by senior colleagues, however this was never the case. When completing independent work, colleagues trust the work you have completed and value the information you provide them.

Upon arrival at the company each intern is assigned a ‘Buddy’ and a ‘People Manager’ who are there to help guide you, provide advice and ensure you are able to meet your internship objectives throughout the placement. My buddy and people manager were extremely friendly and always there to help if I needed it, they often went out of their way to check how I was doing which is more than I would have ever expect.

The work I had to complete varied throughout the 6 weeks, this is mainly because I worked on around 5 clients during this period and varying stages of the audit process. The work relies on the client providing the required evidence/information to complete the audit so certain periods will always be quieter than others. Overall, I felt the level of work set and expected was about right, with most days being busy enough to fly by.

I was given the same responsibility as a graduate ‘Associate’ which was surprising, as a result, I was actively involved in evidence gathering activities and the various other processes which take place in the audit. Given the importance of much of the work I felt as though I was given quite a lot of responsibility which made me feel valued.

The skills developed during this placement are all invaluable for my future, whether than be at university of beyond in my career; the most valuable skills gained and developed are the ‘soft’ skills such as communication which is developed when dealing with colleagues of all levels and clients on site, as well as time management given the varied workload expected. Other skills are more appropriate to a career in audit, such as developing an understanding of assertions in audit, as well as the processes involved in undertaking an audit.

The general atmosphere in the office was very positive, everyone is highly driven and friendly, making it a great place to work.

Overall the placement was very well organised, it is clear that PwC invest a lot of time and energy into the internship programme and seek to make it an enjoyable experience. The first week of the placement involved a three day residential event to introduce the interns to the company and give us chance to get to know each other, recent graduates and partners at the firm. This was a great first impression and really helped to ensure everyone settled in quickly. The rest of the internship was equally well planned and organised; the buddy/people manager system worked well and the ‘resourcing’ department ensure I always had work to do.

The three day residential at the beginning of the placement involved two days of training activities, this ensured that everyone started on site in week two with the required knowledge to undertake the placement. During the internship, online training courses are available to everyone so if you want to learn more about a subject there is likely to be resources available. All interns also had to set personal objectives, this ensure we were all aware of our own development goals and could strive to meet them throughout with the support of our colleagues.

The prospect of working for PwC is very appealing, the firm is young, driven and has a dynamism that I have not experienced before. Overall, the company ethos and approach to personal development is extremely attractive, the support system is also really good which I believe is invaluable over the next few years as I start my career. There are also great opportunities to move within the company and to travel abroad – overall, a great company to work for.

I made a good group of friends among the interns, we all tried to time our lunches together and kept in close contact via the company’s internal instant messaging system throughout which was useful as we could help each other out and discuss concepts without disrupting our colleagues. In the evenings we went for drinks a couple of times which was a nice change from work!

Inevitably working in London is an expensive place to live and work, however, I believe this cost is worth it given the vitality and energy of the city.

The nightlife is great… central London… need I say more?!

PwC has an active sports community which often get involved in football and other sports activities where business units usually play each other which provides that competitive edge. Otherwise, there are fortnightly socials within the business unit I was working in which give people a chance to chat and have a drink outside of work.