Flying Start Degree programme - AS3 Birmingham Review
at PwC
Degree Apprenticeship
Accounting
Birlingham
Review Submitted: April 2021
Overall Rating
3.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
3.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
auditing of accounts, checking reconciling items, emailing client outstanding deliverables and their checklist of other items in dispute on the audit. meeting with other team memebers to discuss the audit approach and planning status of each phase of the audit. doing the testing of the accounts such as cash, ppe,
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
enjoyable, hours can be longer in busy season due to listed accounts deadlines and industry expectations. however overtime is paid. coaching has to be sought proactively when seniors are juggling several tasks and Financial statement areas. sometimes taking the initiative in audit approaches is needed even if coaching not provided upfront
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
learnt new excel skills, vlookup, pivot tables. used aura platinum audit software and achieved better understanding of connect client site. management and client skills were used more also to better build a working relationship during an audit . finally leadership and coaching between my seniors and my juniors for effective delegation
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
3 month placement as part of the ucas degree course. the structure is very discreet and organised with Jan-Mar being the placement period every year. the duration falls within the financial busy season so the work is most intense during this part of the year but allows learning of this role to be most exponential also
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
from pwc they provide a system of career coach, buddy, associate support group with chat room and social events and also flying start champions for other university associates. from icaew they provide website resources and past papers for all professional , certificate and advanced level exmas for up to about 5 years back
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
from icaew they provide website resources and past papers for all professional , certificate and advanced level exmas for up to about 5 years back. generally you also get time off in your schedule bookings of clients for study leave or kaplan centres which is useful also so client work does not clash
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
audit and assurance exam helps with the underlying principals of audit approach and testing especially 3 way match and more basic functions. tax exams helps with small reconciling differences and looking at payroll deductions or additions. financial reporting exam helps with structure of annual report and the derivations from that
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
not many in 2021 due to covid but historically social events included weekly events for all staff in quizzes and office wide calls about certain industry topics. monthly there will usually be a face to face event which is more engagin i have been bowling before and some drinks social also
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend PwC to a friend?
Yes
Why?
pwc generally provides many great support and qualifications in a short amount of time. via the 15/15 papers from the ICAEW CA path you can get a wide base of knowledge to then specialise in later. audit also provides a good foundation to understand the general aspects of financial accounting in all industries
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to PwC?
for interview make sure you know about pwc such as their competences and their structure in LoS. for assess centre make sure you speak with a balanced amount and work cohesively with others. also good to demonstrate taking charge slightly but dont overcompensate for this as that is mark down also
