Flying Start Placement 2 Review
at PwC
Degree Apprenticeship
Accounting
Newcastle upon Tyne
Review Submitted: April 2021
Overall Rating
4.6 /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!
5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4.4/5
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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:
5/5
I worked in audit, and that involves testing different parts of a company's financial statements to ensure that they are correctly and appropriately stated. This is done by taking a sample of a total population and agreeing amounts per the TB to invoices or bank statements or contracts etc.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I am really enjoying this programme and I learn more and more with each lecture and placement. The 2 elements of the degree work really well together and are preparing me for a job after university. I think that all of the lecturers that work on this programme are really involved and go above and beyond to help us and ensure we achieve what we are aiming for.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have developed communication and team work as this placement has been completely from home this was something that was necessary for the audit to be carried out.
I have learnt the new skill of coaching on this placement as i was responsible for helping a flying start placement 1 student perform some of the testing.
I have learnt the new skill of coaching on this placement as i was responsible for helping a flying start placement 1 student perform some of the testing.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
Extremely well organised, the lecturers know the course inside out and are thus able to support us through the process. I think that the balance of placements and lectures/exams is okay (at times this is a little intense, however, is worth it in the long run with the accreditations)
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
While on placement we receive lots of advice, with numerous different people we can speak to for help such as our career coaches, flying start champions, buddies and peers. While at university these are not present as much and the support received is mainly from the university with some visits from pwc in lectures.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
The university are extremely helpful both when we are at the university and when we are on placement. My personal tutor emails throughout the placement to remind us that the university are still there if we need anything and to check that we are doing okay. We also have regular emails from the programme director to support and keep in contact with us.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
The qualifications we are gaining from university in each year help us to perform more efficiently and have more knowledge for the job portion of the course such as the module called Audit and Assurance. ICAEW also provide us access to free events where we gain knowledge on 'hot' audit topics.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
In placement 1 there were lots of extra-curricular activities to get involved in. As placement 2 was completely working from home this was harder to do, however, PwC did make a huge effort to still have this. For example, there was a virtual cocktail night and a virtual sushi making evening. There was also team socials where things like drawasaurus were played.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend PwC to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It is a great place to work with lots of opportunities to do different things and work in different parts of the world. The people are friendly and supportive. There is lots of advanced technology that we get to use daily and the offices are clean and modern. There is also a wide variety of clients that you can work on.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to PwC?
Be honest when completing your application and don't make things bigger than they are. Make sure you do sufficient research on the firm and the policies that they have. On the interview day make sure you make an effort to talk/get to know your team as working together is an essential part of audit.
