Find out what our Guest Bloggers are getting up to. Throughout the year we will be following the progress of our Guest Bloggers as they find a placement or keep us updated as to what they are doing on their placement. Click here to read all entries from our bloggers or click here to meet them.

Here at PwC we’re in the middle of ‘busy season’, so everything’s been a bit hectic so far this quarter. I’m writing this from Milton Keynes where I’m staying for two weeks on an audit with another office. Away jobs can be hard because they’re so far away from home, but they can also be a good opportunity to work with different teams, not to mention being a chance to chill out without worrying about cooking and cleaning. After this job I have two weeks in London, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s a new kind of client for me, which will be interesting, plus I’ll get to do some shopping and see a show – we work hard, but need to unwind in the evenings.

We had the Young Accountants Dinner a couple of weeks ago, which was loads of fun. It was a black-tie event held by the ICAEW, which was a great opportunity for everyone to let their hair down in the middle of such a busy period. Everyone looked amazing in their tuxes and gowns. The food was extremely posh, and we all had a laugh at some of the weird courses on offer. Chicken liver anyone? There were also some clients there, as we obviously work closely with the finance departments of local companies, so we got the chance to chat to some of them in a more social environment and they could see that auditors are normal people too!

In the next few weeks I’ll have an appraisal with my manager, and will potentially receive my graduate job offer. If I’ve met the standards required of me, and have had good feedback from my colleagues, I’ll get an offer in March. If I decide that I want to do the next set of exams, I’ll accept the offer straight away, and will proceed with the graduates, then come back as a second year after I graduate. If I decide not to do the exams and to get more work experience, I’ll have another appraisal in August and hopefully then receive an offer before I leave. It’s quite a difficult decision to make because there are advantages to both options, but ultimately the firm are supportive whichever route you decide to take, so there’s no pressure.