Flying Start 1 Review
at PwC
Degree Apprenticeship
Accounting
Manchester
Review Submitted: July 2023
Overall Rating
3.8 /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!
2.5/5
-
Overview of Role
3/5
-
Skills Development
3.8/5
-
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
i was an FS1 for Core Audit. this means I worked in small teams auditing clients. I would gather information from the client and test it against their proposed statements, formatting my testing in PwC's 'evidence gathering activities' (EGAs) method. I would use PwC's in-house systems Connect and Aura to do this. The course involved working alongside my more experienced coworkers and learning from them how PwC conducts audit and its processes.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
I enjoyed interacting with my co-workers and working in a team when the opportunity presented itself. I was also often given the convenience of working from home. On most of the engagements I was assigned to my co-workers took time to support me and teach me over the work i was performing. However, there were often times when I felt I could have contributed more if more time was taken to better teach me. Working from home though convenient I found did perhaps hinder my ability to engage and interact with my team on a human level, if not detrimental to work performed. There is also the aspect that the work I performed was largely repetitive and finickity by its nature, I have no passion for matching numbers from one pdf file to another pdf and inputting the numbers to excel, though it is hardly the worst of tasks to perform and I understand its necessity.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
I learnt a lot about what work is performed within audit at PwC. I was also given the opportunity to familiarise myself with PwC's in-house systems, Aura and Connect. the work I performed enabled me to practice communicating clearly with clients in a professional manor and exercise professional scepticism in the testing i performed.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The second semester studying felt particularly rushed in comparison to the first semester's relaxed pacing. Sitting exams until the end of January, completing the second semester courses in just over a month before immediately sitting the exams was surprising more than anything else. I feel it would be better to more evenly spread the workload throughout the period.
For the work placement period, I felt that I was well supported throughout and given adequate opportunity for training and asking questions. However, I might say the course felt quite oversubscribed. Often I found I was unassigned or else on an engagement where there was simply no work for me to perform so I would instead have to focus on the additional in-house training available.
For the work placement period, I felt that I was well supported throughout and given adequate opportunity for training and asking questions. However, I might say the course felt quite oversubscribed. Often I found I was unassigned or else on an engagement where there was simply no work for me to perform so I would instead have to focus on the additional in-house training available.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I feel I was well supported throughout my placement and given ample opportunity to ask questions and instruction from my more experienced co-workers. i was also assigned a work mentor and 'buddy' who I could go to for help and to express any concerns to. Additionally PwC provided me with plenty of information over how I could aid my well being.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
On this course, I studied at university towards my qualification at university and then separately completed a work placement. Therefore my employer provides a more than adequate time frame for me to study. N/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/aN/a
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
Financial literacy is integral to the work I performed. The ability to assess the legality and workings of a company's financial and accounting systems is essential to the performance of audit and the accountancy degree program offered teaches these very skills. However, the course is quite abstract to actual testing performed within audit which I had to learn separately whilst working.
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
PwC offered a range of roles and teams to become involved in. these included monthly social events, group cup competitions involving a series of weekly minigames, as I was leaving there was an ongoing pool tournament. These events are organised by the social team which we were given the opportunity to join. However, I do feel the working from home normality hindered these activities.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend PwC to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It's a highly skilled company that performs world leading audits on a range o different companies. It is well resourced and can offer opportunity and training plentifully. PwC's office in Manchester was also a pleasure to work in, designed flexibly in an open plan design. PwC also benefits its employees by its reputation.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to PwC?
I think PwC values openness and communication highl alongside a good work ethic and positive outlook. Taking a vocal problem solving mindset I feel is a characteristic that PwC values as this enables teamwork and better enables PwC to make use of its large resources to find solutions to problems encountered.
