The opportunity to get a Head Start Career opportunities for school and college leavers 2017 pwc.com/uk/schools
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2 There are over 195,000 people in our network working in 157 countries. We have over 165 years of history in the network.
Last year, we volunteered 71,729 hours to help local communities.
Passion for their jobs, strength of working relationships and the ability to progress their career is what our employees value most about working here*.
Students voted us the number one Graduate Employer in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers survey for the last 13 years.
We like to give our people lots of visibility and exposure to the best opportunities. That’s why everyone you see in this brochure works with us. *Staff engagement survey 2016
"
I know from my own experience that by being yourself, and bringing your passion, commitment and flexibility to all that you do, you’ll develop a rewarding and fulfilling career with us. I’m committed to ensuring our people have the opportunities they need to unlock their potential, to play to their strengths and to be themselves, so I hope you’ll consider starting your career with us.
"
Kevin Ellis Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC UK LLP
You’re studying at college or sixth form, but there’s also a lot of focus on what’s next. We know you have career goals and ambitions. But do you decide to start your career or go to uni? Perhaps you want to explore new opportunities. You know you have to start work at some point, but when is the right time, and what is the right path? Whatever you choose, it has to be right for you. Whether you’re ready for a career right now, or in a few years, we’ve got real opportunities for those who want to learn, adapt, be challenged and grow. No matter what your background. Think about what really interests you. Where your strengths lie and how they could apply to your future career. We understand how
challenging this can be, so to help you make the right decision, we’re here to offer advice and support on where you might fit at PwC. We aspire to be an organisation driven by a clear purpose, where each of our people is passionate about helping to build trust in society and solve complex problems. We want to recruit people who share these values and bring them to life in the way they approach the relationships they build, the decisions they make, and the work that they do. It’s this passion for making a difference, to our clients and to each other, that we believe makes us an inspiring backdrop for your career. Take the opportunity of a lifetime
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The opportunities open to you
Jess
Head Start – school and college leaver opportunities If you’re interested in work experience or want to start your career straight from school or college
Flying Start – go to uni and start your career Get a Flying Start to your career with our specialist degree programmes
Work experience for undergraduates Join us on one of our work experience programmes to find out more about us – do well and you could be offered a graduate job
Join as a graduate Get a graduate job with us in one of our many business areas
Which path is right for me? Deciding whether to start your career straight away or whether to go to uni can be tricky – here’s some information to help you weigh up your options
Rewards and applying Discover what benefits you’ll get when you join us, and find out how to apply and how you can meet us
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Pathways to the future
Choose the route that's right for you Get a Head Start from school or college If you’ve decided uni isn’t for you and you know you want a career in business
Go to uni and give your career a Flying Start If you want to study and start your career at the same time
Do work experience as an undergraduate If you want to gain work experience and find out more about us
Join us as a graduate If you’ve decided that you want to go to uni and study a subject you’re passionate about
School and college leaver jobs
� � � � �
Join with A-levels or equivalent Earn a competitive salary Gain client and internal project experience Develop professional skills Opportunity for work experience – join our Business Insight Week
Flying Start degree programmes
building your employability skills with paid � Start work placements � Enjoy the best of both worlds: a traditional student experience with paid, structured work placements
Undergraduate programmes
� You can apply for work experience from your first year at university � Start building your employability skills on one of our programmes � Some programmes are paid
Graduate programmes
� Structured training and development programme � Apply to work in one of our seven business areas
Training time
Qualifications
� 2-4 year development journey � Potential to undertake further professional qualifications � Choose to work in different business areas
ationally recognised �N professional qualification
No matter which path you choose...
� 3, 4 or 5 year development journey � Choose to work in different business areas
your chosen � Gain university degree work towards a � Could professional qualification
� 1 day – 11 months
all-important employability skills � Gain get a job offer to join after university � Could programmes involve you studying � Some towards a professional qualification
� Follow a 2-7 year development journey depending on the business area you join � Opportunity to move to different business areas once initial training completed
ou could gain a professional �Y qualification relevant to the route you take with us
...there are no limits as to how far you can go and how much you can achieve.
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Head Start School and college leaver opportunities
George
Find out more about our business areas, and where you could work, over the next few pages.
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Head Start
Get your career off to a Head Start by joining one of our school and college leaver programmes. You’ll earn a competitive salary while you could study towards a professional qualification designed by employers and professional bodies from across the sector. Just like our graduate joiners, you’ll work on varied, challenging clients or internal projects, which make a real difference to the world of business. You’ll be coached by experts in their field, and at the same time, thanks to our study support, you won’t need to worry about paying for course and exam fees, textbooks or revision materials.
Head Start
Assurance
What is it? Our purpose is to provide decision makers with the information they need to take their business to the next level. We do this by getting to know our clients really well, gaining an understanding of the challenges they face by building relationships with the people who experience them day-to-day. So in Assurance, we assess how each specific organisation can best reflect on the past and prepare for the future, and the future of their employees. Working in Assurance, you’ll really get to know your clients, talking to staff – sometimes very senior – to establish what processes and controls are in place around the finances, forming your own opinion of their accounts and making sure they’re in order. The work you’ll do is varied and each client is different, meaning you’ll learn how to think on your feet, present your findings, and build up lots of business skills. You’ll get the opportunity to work with clients in a range of different industries; projects can range from calculating the value of a football player through to checking how much stock a fashion company has in their warehouse. We help clients make sure they’re sustainable and environmentally friendly, provide business advice to help them achieve their goals, and focus on the total contributions of organisations to their customers, people, suppliers, community and the wider economy. There’s never been a more exciting time to join the profession.
Find out more at pwc.com/uk/schools/work-in-assurance
What you’ll do
Is Assurance right for you?
ou’ll get plenty of experience working on-site at our Y clients’ offices and build strong relationships with them to understand how their organisation works.
Assurance is much more than working with numbers. If you enjoy meeting new people, have an inquisitive nature and want to understand all aspects of how an organisation works, we think you’ll love working in Assurance. Our industry is constantly changing and evolving, so we always have to be on the ball to keep track of new legislation and regulations. This makes for a really exciting and varied career.
You’ll be part of an audit team, and form opinions on the financial position of your clients.
Join us straight from school or college
Join our Flying Start degree programmes
You’ll start your journey towards gaining a nationally recognised professional qualification with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) or Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI). You’ll enjoy on-the-job training and coaching, alongside time out to study for your exams. You’ll have access to the same progression opportunities whether you join straight from school or as a graduate.
You’ll enjoy the traditional university experience, gain a business-related degree, and do some paid practical work experience***. You could be well on your way to securing a fast-track graduate job with us. Find out more on page 24.
What you need School and college leaver roles
280
UCAS tariff*
Flying Start degree programmes
340
UCAS tariff*
Undergraduate and graduate programmes
2:1
in any degree subject**
*minimum requirements, plus a grade C or above in GCSE English Language or Mathematics (or equivalent) for school and college leaver roles **no UCAS tariff required
Join us as a graduate When you join us, along with building your business and professional skills, you’ll also gain a Chartered Accountancy qualification. Joining one of our undergraduate work experience or placement programmes, such as our Talent Academy, could help you to secure a graduate job. Find out more on page 28. Whichever route you take, you’ll receive the best start in Assurance. You could build on your career in Assurance, or explore a new business area at home or abroad. You could even start your own business. Where it takes you is up to you.
***dependent on which programme you join
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Head Start
Consulting What is it? Most things in life change. And the world of business is no exception. Governments change. Exchange rates change. Technology changes. Competition changes. Consulting helps our clients meet their goals by understanding them, listening to them and helping them work out how they could make a few changes of their own – whether they want to grow, help their people to learn new skills or improve the way they do things. As a Management Consultant, you’ll come up with answers to all sorts of important business questions. Like what makes the world’s leading brands so successful that customers are happy to pay a premium and keep coming back? How can businesses, their suppliers and networks operate in an environmentally friendly way? How can they make sure their staff feel happy at work? You’ll help clients look at things in new ways, make suggestions and change things when needed. And as every client is different, the work is really varied and projects can last from a few days to a few years. Behind our Consultants are internal projects too. Amongst other things, they keep them up-to-speed with the latest business developments and provide the systems that support the complex work we do.
Find out more at pwc.com/uk/schools/work-in-consulting
What you’ll do
Is Consulting right for you?
If you come straight from school or college, you’ll spend two years learning the ropes by working with our internal and client teams across a range of business areas, before joining our graduate programme. As your confidence grows, so will your client involvement and you’ll turn your hand to research, collecting and analysing data, project management and report writing. You could find yourself based in the office, or at a client office, depending on where you’re needed the most.
Our Consultants are into business. Any kind of business. They’re creative, probing, questioning and they look at things differently. If you’re someone who’s flexible, enjoys dealing with people and is calm under pressure, it could be for you.
Join us straight from school or college*
Join us as a graduate
We’ll support you to study for a nationally recognised professional qualification. You’ll gain valuable on-the-job experience while getting coaching from experts in their field. After two years, you can expect to join our graduate training programme and undertake learning cycles in a variety of specialist areas, from Finance, Risk and Technology to Operations and People and Change.
What you need School and college leaver roles*
You’ll get exposure to a range of our business areas in Consulting. You’ll be given extensive training and will specialise into a specific Consulting area after 21 months with us. Or if you’re an undergraduate, joining one of our work experience or placement programmes could help you secure a graduate job. Find out more on page 28. Whichever route you take, you’ll be on track for a great Consulting career. This is just the start. The future is up to you. You might explore a new area of our business at home or abroad, work for an organisation like those we advise, or even start your own business.
What you need
280
UCAS tariff**
*not available in Northern Ireland **minimum requirements, plus a grade C or above in GCSE English Language or Mathematics (or equivalent)
Undergraduate and graduate programmes
2:1
in any degree subject***
***no UCAS tariff required for some areas of Consulting
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Head Start
Deals What is it? Put together major mergers and acquisitions and resolve business crises. In Deals we manage a wide range of challenges and opportunities. We guide public and private sector clients through major deals, changes and decisions. We help different organisations tackle business problems, increase value and reduce risk. And you can too, by joining one of our expert teams: Forensic Services: Help our clients to investigate, analyse and pre-empt business risks and issues, such as major public enquiries, bribery allegations, and commercial disputes. Transaction Services: Support private equity firms, investment funds and corporate clients through mergers, acquisitions and disposals.
Find out more at pwc.com/uk/schools/work-in-deals
What you’ll do
Is Deals right for you?
Depending on the area, you could help clients looking to buy a business, sell all or part of their business, refinance or list on stock exchanges. Or you could work on an international take-over bid, an economic crime investigation or a commercial dispute. Whichever route you choose, you’ll gain specialist sector experience. You’ll also get the opportunity to work at your clients’ offices, as talking to them and understanding their business is essential to building trust and delivering the right solution.
Our Deals team is great with people and instinctively knows what needs to be done to put things right. So if you’re naturally inquisitive, good at multitasking, have an analytical mind and enjoy a challenge, then Deals could be for you.
Join us straight from school or college*
Join us as a graduate
You’ll gain a Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB). It’s the first stage of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Chartered Accountancy qualification and it’s nationally recognised. You’ll enjoy plenty of practical, on-the-job training and coaching, as well as time out to study for your exams. By the time you’ve successfully completed CFAB, you’ll have had an individual discussion around your progression and appetite for further study. This can include: taking on more responsibility in the team; completing the remaining stages of your professional qualification with ICAEW; or moving to another role within Transaction Services, or another business area.
What you need School and college leaver roles*
You’ll develop your business and professional skills and gain a Chartered Accountancy qualification. Joining one of our undergraduate work experience or placement programmes also gets you one step closer to a graduate job. Find out more on page 28. No matter which route you take, once you qualify, you could carry on building your career in Deals. You could explore a new area of our business at home or abroad, work for an organisation like those we advise, or start your own business.
What you need
280
UCAS tariff**
*available in Northern Ireland only **minimum requirements, plus a grade C or above in GCSE English Language or Mathematics (or equivalent)
Undergraduate and graduate programmes
2:1
in any degree subject***
***no UCAS tariff required
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Head Start
Tax What is it? Every time you buy a packet of crisps, go to the cinema, download an app or get paid for your part-time job, some of your money gets paid to the Government in tax. And it gets spent on schools, the NHS and a host of other public services. But it’s not straightforward. As individuals, we pay different rates. So imagine how tricky it is as a business when you’re employing staff, making millions of pounds in profits or relocating to another country. And if you don’t get it right, there are penalties. That’s why it’s essential our clients understand their tax obligations and how to manage them effectively, ethically and within legislation. Working in Tax means you’ll get to know everything about new tax developments and legislation. You’ll help our clients – from international businesses to wealthy individuals – plan for the future and manage their tax affairs effectively. Tax is always a hot topic in the media and managing the expectations of our clients is essential: tax issues can have a huge impact on our clients’ reputations, so we must advise them on how they may be perceived in the wider market.
Find out more at pwc.com/uk/schools/work-in-tax
What you’ll do
Is Tax right for you?
You’ll get involved from day one, talking to clients from our offices or at a client site, to understand their business affairs and discuss how the tax rules apply to them. You’ll spend some of your time working in a team to complete tax returns on behalf of our clients, while keeping up-to-date with tax legislation so you can understand how it affects your clients.
A lot of the work we do in Tax is influenced by the law. If you’re fascinated by law and what it means for our clients, a role in our Tax team could be right for you. You’ll also like to keep up-to-date with any tax-related changes, be systematic, have a good eye for detail and be passionate about helping clients come up with commercial and ethical solutions to their problems. And of course, you’ll be good with people too.
Join us straight from school or college
Join us as a graduate
We’ll support you to study for a nationally recognised professional qualification relevant to the work of your team. This will either involve study with the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) or a Certificate in Finance Accounting and Business (CFAB) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). After your initial two years of training, you can expect to be promoted to the same level as a graduate joiner, and enjoy the same career progression opportunities from this point.
What you need School and college leaver roles
You’ll work towards a Chartered Accountancy qualification as well as receiving extensive business and professional skills training. Or joining one of our undergraduate programmes, such as our Talent Academy, gets you one step closer to a graduate job. Find out more on page 28. You’ll be actively supported to experience different areas of Tax, or other areas of our business, throughout your career. Each route gives you a great start to your career in Tax. What happens next is up to you. You could explore a new area of our business at home or abroad, work for an organisation like those we advise, or start your own business.
What you need
240
UCAS tariff*
*minimum requirements, plus a grade C or above in GCSE English Language or Mathematics (or equivalent)
Undergraduate and graduate programmes
2:1
in any degree subject**
**no UCAS tariff required
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Head Start
Business Insight Week
"
What is it? If you’re interested in business, then our paid work experience programme is for you. Spend an action-packed week in a PwC office of your choice during your summer holiday – meeting our people, experiencing the work we do and making new friends.
I worked in the Tax team, and was surprised at how interesting the work was. I really liked that I could have a personal input into my project. Stephanie, Manchester
You’ll see how we support household brands, governments, charities and global companies with everything from planning for the future, to how they can make best use of their technology and meet the challenges of a changing world of business. Plus, you’ll get advice and coaching from our recruitment team. If it goes well, you’ll have the opportunity to: secure a full-time job with us when you leave school or college; explore our Flying Start degree programme; or join our Talent Academy if you decide university is for you.
"
"
It was great meeting all the different people, they really made me feel part of the team and everyone was so welcoming! Yewande, London
What you’ll gain
"
£ Improve your employability skills
Make new friends and increase your network
Find out more about the business world
Get paid for the week
Build your confidence
Work on real projects
"
As I was doing my final pieces of work, I realised how much my confidence had grown. At the start of the week I’d never have thought I’d be capable of doing what I am now.
"
Josh, Birmingham
"
There’s great variation and it’s always interesting. You get to work with lots of clients and different colleagues – there’s a great sense of teamwork at PwC. Louise, Newcastle
"
Find out more at pwc.com/uk/schools/work-experience pwc.com/uk/ni/work-experience
What you’ll do We’ll welcome you with a day’s training to get you started. This will be held in a central location and you’ll get to meet other people doing the placement during the same week, helping you make friends right from the start. You’ll then spend time in the office you’ve chosen, working alongside our people. By spending time with teams working on live projects and buddying up with a PwC school and college leaver or graduate trainee, you’ll get a unique insight into how the world of business works, putting you a step ahead of the competition when you start looking for a job.
When to apply Year 12
UK
Year 13
NI
We welcome people from all cultures and backgrounds at PwC, as different perspectives and approaches are key to our success. So no matter your situation or what you study, we want to hear from you. This is your opportunity to find out what the world of business is all about and see whether it might be for you – particularly if you don’t already have a network in the profession. You don’t need any experience – just a desire to learn.
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Head Start
Hear from our people
Ndiwe Associate
Joined us straight from school At PwC, you don’t get stuck doing the photocopying and making the tea, you’re involved in projects straight away. I’ve been here for two years and I’m very hands-on in my client-facing role. I love being able to apply my studying to my work. It’s very social here, too. PwC are always organising sporting events and once a week I compete with our women’s football team. We’re even going to Serbia to compete with other offices!
"
I love being able to apply my studying to my work
"
Adam Associate
Joined us straight from school
"
I can see the difference in my knowledge since joining and get so much satisfaction from that
"
I decided while I was still at school that I wasn’t that interested in going to university. I was keen to get into the workplace and progress my career. So after spending a year volunteering in Israel, I joined PwC’s school and college leaver training programme, and I haven’t looked back. What I love about working here is the tangible progression you experience. I can see the difference in my knowledge since joining and get so much satisfaction from that. And it’s a culture that really rewards achievement. We often get to go out and celebrate after work when a project goes well. It’s a really friendly atmosphere, full of great people.
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Head Start
The opportunity to grow See the career journey Martin has taken from joining us straight after school in 1989 and working all over the UK, to becoming a Partner in 2014.
2007 Promoted to Director
2001 Promoted to Senior Manager
Joined ‘89 Gained ACCA qualification
Moved to Edinburgh
Moved to Sydney Promoted to Manager
Martin Cowie
Partner Joined our Aberdeen office straight from school
1998
Nine month client secondment to Rothmans Gained ICAEW qualification
"
I’m so glad I took the opportunity to join PwC
"
Moved to Glasgow Adopted Kayden Got married
2014
Promoted to Partner Moved to Belfast
Joined ICAS Business Policy committee
Adopted Adam
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Considering going to uni?
Anita
Be spoilt for choice Turn the page to check out our range of career and work experience opportunities if you’re thinking about going to university. From our fast-track Flying Start degree programmes, to our work experience and career programmes open to students and graduates from any degree subject.
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Flying Start
Flying Start degree programmes Start your career and go to uni
Want to study accounting?
If you want to go to university but are also keen to begin your career, our Flying Start degree programmes offer the best of both worlds.
Our Accounting Flying Start programme lasts four years and can be studied at Newcastle University Business School, Henley Business School (University of Reading) or Nottingham University Business School. It will put you on track to becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant – you’ll complete 80% of your exams, and will be just over a year away from qualification once you graduate.
The skills you’ll learn on your paid work placements with us are extremely transferable, which means you’ll be able to work anywhere in business. You’ll get to meet our world-class clients and work alongside our highly skilled teams. Studying at university you’ll get to experience the full-time student lifestyle. But as the placements are paid you’ll have some money to enjoy it too. You’ll gain a degree, and hopefully impress us enough to secure a place on our graduate scheme.
Want to study business? Our Business Flying Start programme at Queen’s University Belfast lasts three or four years. You can join this programme alongside one of seven businessrelated degrees.
Fast track your career
Accounting
Business
Actuarial
Newcastle, Nottingham and Henley (Reading) Business Schools
Queen’s University Belfast
Heriot-Watt University
Apply when you apply for uni
Apply in 1st year
Apply in 2nd year
At least a 340 UCAS tariff excluding General Studies
4 years
Be on track for a 2:1
3/4 years
At least a 320 UCAS tariff including a B in Maths and be on track for a 2:1
5 years
Our Actuarial Science programme at Heriot-Watt University takes place alongside the BSc Actuarial Science degree course and lasts five years.
Choose the Actuarial Science route and you’ll take part in two six-month, paid work placements during years three and five with our Actuarial team in London. When you start a placement you’ll:
How do the placements work?
� Join a team in one of our business areas
If you join the Accounting route, you’ll have three paid work placements with us. They’re built into the university’s academic year and last for just one term, so you’ll still have the whole summer off to enjoy. As well as earning a competitive salary, you could have some of your living costs supplemented and pay lower university fees.
� Go through certain technical training courses to prepare you for real client work
As part of the Business route, you’ll complete work experience during your summer holidays, with a Talent Academy in your first year, a Summer Internship in your second year, and a Work Placement in your third year.
Flying Start
Want to study actuarial science?
� Get to know other students who are also on placement � Work with and learn from all kinds of truly inspiring people at PwC � Start being able to share your own insights – all contributing to the growth and success of your career and the wider PwC business. Find out more at: pwc.com/uk/flying-start pwc.com/uk/ni/flying-start
World-class degree
Complete 80% of Chartered Accountancy exams
Graduate job in Assurance
World-class degree
Could lead to a place on our graduate programme
Graduate job in any business area in Northern Ireland
World-class degree
Could lead to a place on our graduate programme
Graduate job in Actuarial
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Flying Start
"
Hear from our people
This programme has really opened my eyes to what’s possible
"
Chelsea Associate
Henley Business School Flying Start degree programme I’ve always enjoyed working with numbers so a career in accountancy made complete sense. The Flying Start degree programme appealed to me because of PwC’s extensive international reputation. And the balance between work-life and study meant that I got the university experience I wanted, while getting a head start in my career. I’ve had the opportunity to work with fantastic clients and get a real insight into the business. The team have been incredibly supportive and we take every opportunity to socialise. I’m also a member of the netball team which has been a great way of meeting people. This programme has really opened my eyes to what’s possible.
"
I’ve helped hugely diverse clients tackle problems that they face
"
Simran Associate
Nottingham Business School Flying Start degree programme As an auditor, I’ve helped hugely diverse clients tackle problems that they face. I’ve been involved with so many different aspects of audit across a whole breadth of fields. The people were so helpful when I was first getting to grips with the role; there was always someone to ask if I was unsure about anything and I had the opportunity to interact with FTSE 100 firms which was so enlightening. The social side is great too – we’re always organising events and getting to know each other better – it’s something that PwC really seems to value.
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Work experience for undergraduates
Work experience opportunities If you’ve decided to go to university to study a subject you love, then you’ll be able to discover what a career with us is all about and start developing your employability skills through our work experience programmes.
Students in any year
First to final year students
Students in any year
1 day
2 days 5 days • Paid
1 week • Paid
Career Open Day
Talent Academy *
Women in Business
Spend a highly interactive day with us and learn about the work we do. It will help you decide which of our graduate career opportunities is right for you.
During this 2-day interactive work placement, you’ll get to meet our people and hear what it’s like to work with us. You’ll find out about the business areas you could join, gain an understanding of our business purpose, and meet other students who are thinking about applying.
You’ll find out what it takes to make it to the very top of PwC from the perspective of one of our female leaders. You’ll also get an insight into what we do day-to-day, by partnering with an associate on our current training scheme, attend client meetings and experience working life with us.
Tech Academy **
* **
First year students, second year for those on a four year course (without a year in industry); Northern Ireland – open to first to penultimate year students Open to students in any year, with the exception of in Northern Ireland where it’s for first year students only
This 5-day, paid interactive work placement is aimed at people with a passion for technology. You’ll experience first-hand how we’re helping our clients to create a business strategy fit for the digital age, one that’s able to withstand and respond to cyber threats, and capable of harnessing the business benefits of innovative and effective data management.
Do well and you could be offered a graduate job for the following year
Find out more at pwc.com/uk/work-experience pwc.com/uk/ni/work-experience
Penultimate year students
Sandwich or placement students
Graduate placement
6-8 weeks • Paid
11 months • Paid
6-10 months • Paid
Work experience
This could lead to an internship or work placement if in your first, second or penultimate year
Summer Internship
Undergraduate Work Placement
Graduate Work Placement
Working alongside specialists in your chosen business area, you’ll be a valued member of the team. You’ll work on client projects for 6-8 weeks to give you the best insight into what we really do. You’ll discover how the work we do really matters – to our clients, the economy and the wider community. Alongside that, you’ll build networks with your colleagues and peer group through our client-focused internship challenge.
An opportunity to develop a broad range of business skills, enhance your commercial thinking and experience our culture. On this 11-month work placement, you’ll be a key member of the team, working on real client engagements. With a dedicated People Manager and Buddy, you’ll be supported to reach your full potential. In some business areas you’ll also have the opportunity to study towards a professional qualification.
Join one of our 6-month Tax work placements after you graduate and you’ll become part of our Corporate or Indirect Tax team doing client work while building your expertise in this area. You may decide to request an extension to your placement up to 11 months, or take six months out before starting your new career. Either way, you could get a job offer to join our full-time Tax Graduate programme.
Opportunities are available in: Assurance, Technology, Deals, HR and Marketing.
Flexible Associate graduate placement scheme
This programme is ideal if you need to complete a placement as part of your degree, and it could lead to a graduate job offer – plus if you’ve completed some professional exams on placement, you’ll qualify faster when you re-join as a graduate.
On this 10-month programme, you’ll work where the business needs you most, meaning you could experience work in any of our business areas. Or you may specialise in one area, where you can develop your expertise. pwc.com/uk/schools
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Join as a graduate
Graduate opportunities If you want to join us as a graduate there are plenty of business areas open to you. You’ll join a structured graduate programme, which will give you the training and development you need to shine and make a difference to your clients. Here’s a snapshot of some of the areas you could work in.
Actuarial
Join Actuarial and you’ll use probability to help clients analyse how future events could affect them. You might be looking at managing the risks a company faces with their pension scheme, the amount of money an insurance company should hold to cover the claims they incur, or even the likelihood of a business being hit by an earthquake. Or you could work on building a mathematical model to help banks predict profit and loss in the future.
Assurance
We provide decision makers with confidence about the key information they need to make good business decisions. A big part of this is performing an independent check to help them make sure that everything is as it should be – ultimately revealing whether or not their organisation is sustainable and profitable. It’s a role that impacts everyone’s lives, from auditing local councils to make sure budgets are being spent wisely, to checking financial results of the UK’s leading businesses.
Consulting
You’ll get to work closely with the best in industry, finance and government on a wide range of projects. Our clients might want us to help them start business in new areas; address the challenges created by organisational change; or draw up a new sustainability strategy. Whichever part of Consulting you join, you’ll help organisations of all shapes and sizes grow faster, work smarter and improve their performance.
We help put together major mergers and acquisitions and resolve business-related issues. We focus on the deals and crisis elements of a business; from strategic procurement advice, to insolvency of failing businesses, from international take-over bids to economic crime investigations and disputes. The variety on offer is incredible and you’ll have the opportunity to gain a huge breadth of professional experience and skills.
Tax
The tax landscape is constantly changing and our expertise covers every area of taxation. Your knowledge and insight will help high-profile organisations, governments, entrepreneurs and family businesses understand complex rules and make informed decisions with significant impacts.
Legal
With more than 2,500 lawyers in over 85 countries, we have one of the most extensive legal service networks in the world. What’s more, we’re able to offer our clients thorough solutions, incorporating multidisciplinary advice from other business areas. From offering immigration advice to multinational companies who are moving employees internationally, to providing support on a range of business critical issues such as data protection, privacy and security.
Graduate jobs
Deals
Technology
Technological advancement is transforming the way that we work. With us, you’ll be at the forefront of new initiatives and explore emerging technologies to help businesses. Whether it’s offering advice on cyber security, data analytics or building trust in digital, our responsibility is to equip our clients with the knowledge and trust they need to progress in the digital age.
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Which path is right for me?
Decide when to join us Consider what you really enjoy doing. Where do your strengths lie and how could they apply to your future career? We know that this can be a challenge so we’ve developed this tool to help steer you in the right direction. Right for you if… You’re keen to start your career and earn a salary as early as possible
Head Start – school and college leaver opportunities
Flying Start degree programmes
You’re concerned about the cost of going to university
It’s not just an initial training contract – all of our opportunities lead to a long-term career and a fast-track to a graduate level job
You respond well to coaching and feedback
You don’t need to know which specialism you want to spend your whole career in – there are opportunities to move around as you develop your career
You like to be independent and challenge yourself
You’ll still be able to have a social life, and join clubs and networks
You want to enter the world of work whilst studying for your degree
You don’t need to be an accountant or auditor forever – it’s a brilliant foundation for many varied careers in business
You prefer on-the-job to full-time learning
You want the traditional uni experience, but the guarantee of a job at the end You’ve got a strong work ethic and can be disciplined with your study
You have a uni in mind or subject you’re really passionate about
Go to uni
What you need to know...
You want the traditional uni experience, and some more time to consider your career options
You’ll still have a life – the course is hard work, but allows you to have a great social life too
It doesn’t matter what you study – most of our graduate roles encourage applications from all disciplines You need to start thinking about your employability from year one – we have lots of ways to help you with that
Still undecided?
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These are big decisions, so it’s completely understandable if you still don’t feel sure about what to do next. These points may help:
Even if university was free, I’d have chosen this. I’m gaining a professional qualification at a top organisation, alongside career defining experience.
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Luke Tax Associate, London
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M ake a list of pros and cons from your research. Identify what’s most important to you.
2
S peak to the people who know you best – share your research and ask their opinions. But remember this is your decision, and you’ll be best placed to know what’s right for you.
3
C ome along to one of our open days, open evenings or virtual events, or just connect via our live chat on our website. You can speak to recruiters and current students who are always happy to help and share their experiences.
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Which is right for me?
I strongly believed that this course was an ideal start to my career in the business world. The opportunity to experience student life whilst also gaining professional real life experience was one which I couldn’t refuse!
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James Final year at Henley Business School
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The Talent Academy was a really useful insight into a career at PwC. I enjoyed networking with other likeminded students and getting a feel for what it’s like to work there.
"
Check out our tools to help you prepare and build your skills: pwc.com/uk/employability
Julia Talent Academy programme pwc.com/uk/schools
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Rewards and applying
It’s all about you By now you should have a good idea of the learning environment we create for you and the personal and professional development you can expect. But we know that finances are important too. Our people are important to us and we want to reward hard work and commitment. Because we know everyone is different, we’ve designed a flexible benefits scheme that can be tailored to suit your needs. We call this ‘Choices’.
Our offer to you
A discretionary bonus
The option to join our pension scheme***
A highly competitive salary
25 days’ standard holiday pro rata**
A season ticket loan
A ‘Choices’ allowance*
An extra day off at Christmas
A graduate loan of up to £7,000
* Most benefits can extend to partners, dependants and family too. ** You can also trade up or down, up to the equivalent of one working week of your standard holiday entitlement, to a maximum of 40 days per year. *** If you decide you don’t want to join the PwC GPP (2015), we’ll still have a statutory duty to enrol you automatically into a pension arrangement which complies with the Government’s minimum pension requirements, but you can opt out of this if you like after you’ve been enrolled.
We use some of your Choices allowance to fund:
Life assurance cover
Personal accident cover
Income protection cover
Private medical cover
But it doesn’t stop there. You can use what’s left of your Choices allowance (plus some of your salary if you like) to request whichever of our wide range of Choices benefits will suit you best. This could be:
Childcare vouchers
Travel insurance
Gym membership
A company car
A bike through our cycle to work scheme
Private family medical cover
Dental insurance
Gadget insurance
Health screening
Increased life assurance cover
Partner life assurance
Critical illness insurance
Personal injury insurance
PwC Donate
Increased income protection cover
Your life at PwC
Work kit
Office facilities*
Flexible working
Social life*
Work perks
iPhone
Onsite parking
Tax Return Service
Subsidised restaurants
Maternity and paternity leave
Social clubs
Laptop and bag
Sports teams
Career breaks
PwC Panto
Filtered water and hot drink stations
Reduced working patterns
Community initiatives
Discounted products and services including hotels and travel
Contemplation rooms
Emergency back-up childcare
Office socials
Stationery
Showers Complimentary fruit *varies by region or office
Concierge services
Networks Tastecard PwC Box tickets
Careers service Overseas secondments Microsoft Office for home use Eye test vouchers
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Rewards and applying
But our reward to our people is much more than financial. We work hard to create an environment where our people can grow and flourish.
Rewards and applying
What we look for Know what you’re signing up for You might not know it, but you’ve probably got many of the skills we’re looking for already. You’ve just never stopped to think about it. Your academic studies, hobbies, part-time work, fundraising or sporting achievements are obvious areas of your life that showcase your talents. As are being part of a music or drama group, acting as a prefect or school representative or treasurer. These are all great, but don’t forget there are other ways to show us you’re the kind of person we’d like to work here.
The PwC Professional focuses on five core attributes: whole leadership, business acumen, technical capabilities, global acumen and relationships. We use this framework to recruit, develop and assess our people at all grades and in all areas of our business, because we expect all of our people to be leaders.
Perhaps you’ve had to care for a relative when they were poorly or support a younger sibling. Or maybe you take time out to do the weekly shop for your parents when they’re too busy. Responsibility, leadership, team-working, juggling priorities. These skills come in many shapes and forms, even the everyday occurrences. So take time to look at your life. Think about what you do and how you do it. And then share it with us. We’re pretty certain you have a lot to say and a lot to offer a potential employer. The PwC Professional All our people need to demonstrate the skills and behaviours that help us deliver our business strategy. This is important to the work we do for our business, and our clients. These skills and behaviours make up our global leadership framework, ‘The PwC Professional’.
For information on The PwC Professional go to pwc.com/uk/careers/pwcprofessional
Think about your skills We’ll be looking for you to show you can:
Develop yourself and others Have you ever changed the way you did something after getting feedback? Share and innovate Have you applied something you’ve learned, in a part-time job or in class, to achieve a goal? Business minded
Communication skills
Be a strong communicator Have you presented to your class, club or a group of people you don’t know? Be a team player Have you ever supported a teammate or classmate to help them achieve success? Build your networks Are you a strong contributor at your school club or community centre?
Open and honest
Strong team player
Be open and honest Can you think of a time when you’ve had to keep something confidential? Be organised Have you juggled different priorities, such as exam studies, to meet an important deadline? Prepare for the unexpected Have you tried new things that are outside your comfort zone?
To start preparing for the world of work, try our e-learns at pwc.com/uk/careers/elearn
Keep developing your knowledge Are you interested in business and current affairs? Be passionate about what you do Do you work hard to make things better, such as being part of a revision group or having a part-time job?
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Rewards and applying
The opportunity to apply
4
Please check online for the application process for our Flying Start degree, undergraduate and graduate programmes – the following information refers to school and college leaver routes only.
1
Final stage interview
5
Your final stage interview will be with a senior member of the team in the business area you’ve applied to join. You’ll need to explain why you’ve chosen the specific programme and business area, and what you can bring to it. The interview is competencybased, so be ready to talk about your skills and how you gained them. You’ll also need to show that you understand the commitment required to study towards a professional qualification.
Research Research the different options available to you and decide which path suits you best. Visit pwc.com/uk/schools and start exploring, or attend one of our events such as a Career Open Day, open evening or monthly virtual event if you can’t make it into one of our offices to find out more. See page 40 for more information.
Offer We’ll tell you whether we’d like you to join us as soon after the final stage interview as possible.
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Get online
3
Decide on your programme and business area. Think about the skills you can bring and then complete the application form online – make sure you’ve checked that you have the right qualifications to apply. We’ll then ask you to take some online tests and you’ll get the results within 48 hours. Do well and we’ll invite you to attend an assessment day.
6
Pre-employment screening Accept our offer and we’ll check your grades and job history, so please make sure everything’s correct before you send us your application. We’re known for accuracy, so carrying out checks like this protects our reputation.
Assessment day You’ll take a numerical test and a verbal reasoning skills test – as you did online. You’ll also complete an in-tray, written and group or individual exercise. Plus we’ll give you more information about our business areas and you’ll meet some of our staff. To help you prepare, try our e-learning tools at pwc.com/uk/careers/elearn
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Before you join The support starts as soon as you say ‘yes’. You’ll be paired up with a buddy and you’ll hear from our new joiners committee who can answer any questions you have. We’ll invite you on to our onboarding website and Facebook app where you can keep in touch with news, advice and information. And you can also network with other students about to join us.
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Rewards and applying
Ways to meet us There are a number of different ways to find out more about the work we do, discover who we are and the range of opportunities we have. Whether you’re looking to start work, or explore your options if you’re thinking of going to uni – find out more at one of our events.
Career Open Day Pick up loads of information about our work, develop your employability skills, talk to our people about their varied career pathways and find out more about the recruitment process.
Virtual events If you’re not able to make it to one of our events in person, our virtual events could be perfect for you. These online events are run monthly by our recruitment team and last about an hour. You’ll hear more about our opportunities, get hints and tips about our recruitment process, and meet some recent joiners by taking part in a live Q&A chat. Register online.
Open evenings If you don’t have a full day to spare, then come to one of our open evenings to get more information about our opportunities and meet some of our people in an informal environment. Find out what’s involved on our programmes and get your questions answered. We’re very happy for you to come with a family member, friend or teacher.
National Schools Employability Challenge Take the opportunity to showcase your employability skills, alongside people from across the country. Organised over three stages, you’ll complete quizzes, workshops and group tasks to be in with a chance of winning paid work experience with PwC. See nsechallenge.co.uk for details of how to enter.
Find out more at pwc.com/uk/schools/events
School and college leaver programmes available in: Belfast Birmingham Bristol Cambridge
Cardiff East Midlands Gatwick Hull
Leeds London Manchester Newcastle
Norwich Reading Sheffield Southampton
St Albans Uxbridge
Manchester Milton Keynes Newcastle Norwich
Reading Southampton St Albans Uxbridge
Flying Start work placements available in: Aberdeen Belfast Birmingham Bristol
Cambridge Cardiff East Midlands Edinburgh
Gatwick Glasgow Leeds London
Graduate programmes available in: All our UK offices Availability may change throughout the year so please visit our website to check where you can apply.
pwc.com/uk/schools pwc.com/uk/ni/schools
Create value through diversity. Be yourself, be different.
@pwc_uk_careers /pwccareersuk /careerspwc /pwc_uk
pwc.com/uk/careers This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, its members, employees and agents do not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it. © 2016 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. In this document, “PwC” refers to the UK member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see pwc.com/structure for further details.
