Audit Associate Review
at PwC
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Accounting
Reading
Review Submitted: June 2023
Overall Rating
4.2 /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!
4/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4/5
-
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
The role includes a combination of professional exams, on-the-job training and taking personal responsibility for ongoing audit work. During exam training, there is daily training from around 9am to 4pm with personal study outside of those times. During audit work, a typical day can be around 8.5 hours in length (longer during busier periods), with time spent working in teams, with clients or individually depending on resourcing needs.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
It depends on the time of year! The exam training is well organised, flexible and has the right balance of in-person study to personal revision. Audit work is also well tailored to your personal abilities and can be as complicated as you want it to be. However, expect to work upwards of 10 hours a day during busier periods (typically around 4 weeks per person, but it varies significantly).
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
If you haven't worked or studied in this field before, then most of the knowledge being learnt is new, although the basic mathematical concepts remain the same. The on-the-job experience allows you to build on skills such as client communication, project and time management, and working well as a team.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
The programme is clearly structured with qualification and training time clearly marked out in your calendar. The rest of the time, audits are assigned to you but there is a relatively high amount of flexibility regarding holiday and other commitments - this is on the proviso that you let your managers know in plenty of time!
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
There is a lot of support in terms of training and exam days, with all tuition paid for and a dedicated PQ (Professional Qualifications) team. There is also a lot of coaching available from team managers on different jobs, although the quantity and quality varies depending on the job you are working on.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
The training provider has an online portal with lots of guidance and support. There is a live chat on all days of the week, hard and soft copy training materials, as well as plenty of days of study. There are also suggestions about which practice questions to do prior to exams.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
The qualification is an essential part of the role as it provides the basic understanding for the audit work being performed. Many of the activities undertaken as a new associate are relatively straightforward and will not rely on this initially, however it is critical to participating in team and client discussions.
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
Yes! There are two annual social events (one at Christmas and one during the summer). There are also various sports teams (football, golf and rackets being the main ones), as well as team 'debrief' activities to celebrate the end of each project. Professional networking is not well advertised but is available through the ICAEW.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend PwC to a friend?
Yes
Why?
There is a good balance of study to work. The work-life balance can be more tricky, but if you play your cards right then it is possible to find something that works for you. The holiday allowance is generous with large increases in salary as the qualification progresses. Most importantly, all teams are very welcoming and supportive throughout.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to PwC?
Take your time to fill out the application form in full. There are likely to be minigames as part of the assessment process, which again you should dedicate a couple of hours to - this ensures that you can show off your skills! If you make it to the assessment day, you should be mostly there - the staff are very friendly and want to get the best out of you.
