Audit Associate Review
at PwC
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Accounting
Milton Keynes, UK
Review Submitted: April 2021
Overall Rating
3.6 /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!
3/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.4/5
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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:
3/5
The key roles of an audit associate revolve around assisting the senior auditors or manager in auditing and compliance activities of clients. Normally the we are well equipped with auditing procedures and standards. I also help make sure that financial statements produced by clients are kept according to the prescribed standards.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
While the programme could be quite intense, with a lot of information being crammed in a short amount of time to be absorbed and a lot of work to do (especially in the busy season), I somewhat enjoy the process of learning because I get a sense of accomplishment whenever I succeed in passing an exam or completing a job.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Before joining this apprenticeship, I don't have any accounting knowledge, and very little business knowledge. Now, after starting intense professional qualification training and on-the-job training, I am a lot more knowledgeable about these subjects, which I think in the long run would help me develop better business acumen.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
It is very structured, with a lot of support from the training provider (in the form of a talent coach) as well as from the firm I work in (in the form of a career coach). There are also sets of time allocated for study, which aids in exams that I need to take.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
When it comes to exams, the management and other colleagues tend to be understanding when I have to study in the evenings, instead of continue working. However, it is not ideal to have to explain myself for not being able to work extra long hours, in order to spend more time studying!
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
They generally give a lot of support to me, from the talent coach who takes care of my overall professional development, to the tutors who actually teach me the subjects. The communication is generally quite good as well, because I'm able to ask questions in their website and usually get prompt reply.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
A lot of the subjects taught in the qualification directly helps me with understanding the things that I do at work, for example accounting, financial reporting, and a lot of other stuff as well. They also reinforce each other because doing the work helps me remember the things that I learned.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Due to covid, a lot of the social activities and sports teams and other things have to be suspended, because face to face interactions are not possible or permissible. This is compensated by a lot of virtual activities such as virtual quizzes, virtual escape room, and a lot of other things as well.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend PwC to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It is a good opportunity to gain a lot of knowledge through their training programmes, and also a lot of opportunities to work with a lot of exciting clients and fantastic colleagues. It is a bit challenging and does cut into a lot of your free time, but if you put in the work, it's good.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to PwC?
It is a good opportunity to gain a lot of knowledge through their training programmes, and also a lot of opportunities to work with a lot of exciting clients. But don't run yourself into the ground. Enjoy while you're there, especially with a lot of fantastic colleagues to work with.
