Name: Liam University: University of Portsmouth Degree: Economics. Finance & Banking Programme Attended: 1NSIGHT Business Placement Current Role: Associate within Assurance – Corporate Audit. Southampton Office

1) What did you enjoy most about your placement – were your expectations met or exceeded?

I completed the Business Placement programme between my second and third year at Portsmouth University. A particular attraction of the business placements offered by PwC is that they can in effect constitute the first year of a three year training contract, hence I completed the same training as the those students joining the conventional graduate scheme. It also implied that I spent a proportion of my placement at college studying for the first exams of the ACA qualification. Working in Corporate Audit meant I was often out at client sites working as part of a team to complete the year end audit of a number of organisations from an array of industries.

I enjoyed the fact that the job offered such diverse experiences on a day to day basis. I never worked in the same place for longer than 2 weeks, and this therefore enabled me to gain an insight into a number of different organisations. Joining as part of the graduate scheme was also an enjoyable experience, enabling me to meet a number of people of the same age entering the same stage of their professional career. In some respects, the feeling of belonging to a ‘year group’ as you progress through the professional qualification with PwC maintains an element of university environment, albeit with earlier starts and later nights working! Completing the first exams of the ACA qualification was also a worthwhile, if not at times demanding, an experience that will no doubt stand any student in good stead upon returning to University.

2) What skills did you develop on the programme and how have you gone on to use them?

Completing my Business Placement with PwC ensured I improved a number of core skills required for any graduate job. It was imperative that I could communicate well with clients and fellow team members in order to complete audits efficiently and effectively as possible. My time management skills also improved, with each audit constituting a new project with deadlines to meet, it was essential that I managed my time and planned ahead in to meet my personal objectives on the job. Inevitably my business awareness skills have also been enhanced as a result of my 12 months with PwC. Witnessing first hand how our clients deal with business issues and economic pressures was an invaluable experience that I could take back to University.

3) What advice would you give to prospective joiners?

Overall I would sincerely recommend any student looking to complete a placement year to consider PricewaterhouseCoopers. In my opinion there are very few organisations that are held with such high regard in the financial industry and thus would improve any student’s CV. My advice to prospective Business Placement students would be to consider their options as early as possible, and therefore allow themselves to apply for positions early. It is also important to think about the skills/experiences gained already through University studies, and how these can be used to demonstrate on a CV that the candidate has the necessary capabilities. It is essential that students recognise how the advice and support offered by their University’s careers office can play a major role in preparing for a first interview / assessment centre. Completing a Business Placement with PwC can be demanding, especially since there will be periods spent at college with the other graduates studying for the ACA exams. However, there are very few organisations that offer placement students such a great opportunity to make their first step towards an interesting and rewarding career!

For more information on the opportunities available at PricewaterhouseCoopers, please click here.