PwC

PwC was formed in 1998, after a merger, and it has ascended with relentless pace as one of the forerunners of the Big Four. PwC prides itself on being amongst the main providers of assurance, tax, and business consulting services in the accountancy industry. It boasts a strong global network with 165,000 employees working in over 150 countries worldwide.

PwC’s current form is the result of numerous alliances and mergers aggregated throughout its 150 year history. Its origins stretch as far back as the mid-19th century, when Samuel L Price established his own firm in London in 1849. Price Waterhouse & Co was formed with the merger of Price, Holyland and Waterhouse. A few years later in 1854, William Cooper opened a similar business also in the capital that – after various mergers – eventually established itself in the 20th century as Coopers & Lybrand. Several mergers later, the 5th and 6th biggest firms, Coppers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse, merged to create PwC in 1998, one of the world’s largest accountancy firms.

Augmenting this enviable boast, PwC provides a wide range of professional services for both public and private clients. Auditing accounts for over half of the global network’s revenue, although in the UK other services, such as tax and transaction, generate more of its turnover. PwC’s core departments include audit and assurance, tax, consulting, business recovery, corporate finance, strategy, actuarial, sustainability/climate change, as well as services in HR, transaction and forensic.

Consumer and industrial products and services are the most lucrative sectors for PwC in the UK, followed by financial services, technology, infocomms (SIC), entertainment and media, and government. Additionally, PwC provides research and consulting services to many industries, and publishes a number of reports on related issues.

PwC is the UK’s largest audit firm and despite the difficult economic environment, many PwC network firms across the globe have maintained their leading positions in their respective markets, a clear sign of the powerhouse that is PwC. Additionally, PwC has certainly not lost any of its appeal as a popular graduate employer. For the ninth year running, the company has been able to maintain its top spot in ‘The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers’ Survey.

Despite the ongoing euro zone crisis, PwC’s outlook for the future is a bright one. The company’s business strategy is centred on achieving more growth of PwC’s consulting market share. The network is eager to extend its lead in the core businesses of audit, tax, business recovery services and transactions, while other sectors such as human resource services will also be expanded.

Practice numerical tests and verbal tests used by actual employers.

PwC is at the top of the business world and counts 40% of companies in the FTSE 100 amongst its clients. With services that cover business consulting, audit, tax services and assurance, just to name a few, it is one of the largest companies in the world, boasting offices in 757 cities all over the world and over 165,000 employees.

PwC has so many roles and seats to fill that they’re constantly recruiting and on the lookout for bright minds. But this does not mean that the firm will take just anyone. PwC looks for bright, enthusiastic candidates who yes, test well, but the test is not the only thing they consider. The application process itself is not a “one size fits all” approach so the kind of interviews and assessments you will have to go through depends largely on the role you’re applying for.

You will first need to fill out an online application that requires basic personal information and history, as well as some questions about what your preferred client at PwC would be. In later stages of the process, this application form will come back into play so make sure you write about things you are familiar with and enthusiastic about. In the case of an in-person interview, the interviewer will often use this form as a guide, asking you to expand upon what it was you wrote so don’t just fill in this form and forget about it!

If you are successful in step one, you’ll next be asked to have a telephone interview. Many people find this kind of interview tricky because it’s easy for your mind to wander when you’re not actually looking at the person asking you questions. But another mistake is thinking it will be easy. Take your time to prepare, make sure you have a pen and paper in front of you for anything you want to write down, take deep breaths and answer every question enthusiastically. The interviewer will be looking to see how well you build a connection with them in a fairly impersonal situation, while also speaking intelligently.

Next you may be asked to take a technical test, depending on what you’re applying for. This is where people start to get really nervous – but don’t! PwC is good at taking into account all aspects of applications so they will never judge you solely on your technical test. Yes, they are timed tests, but you are not penalised for not finishing. Perhaps most importantly: if there is something on the test you’re not sure of, ask for clarification and that will give you the best chance at a high score.

Finally, at some point you will have a face-to-face interview with a partner or director, which has been described as more laid back than expected. Your interviewer is not interested in tripping you up, confusing you or asking you trick questions. Rather, they want to know what makes you tick, why you’ve chosen to go for a job at PwC, and what industry news you’ve been keeping up-to-date with. Some interviewers will focus on what you think needs to be done at PwC, so make sure you spend some time thinking about strategies you believe the company should take and the strengths and weaknesses of the firm.

The process may seem lengthy but PwC is the biggest player around and therefore the procedure is accordingly stringent. Do note though, the recruitment process will vary depending on the division and regional office applied to. Above all if you relax, take your time and express yourself clearly and enthusiastically, you may be a PwC employee sooner than you think!

PwC Graduate Recruitment Info

How to apply: www.pwc.com/uk/careers
Application Deadline: 29th September 2013

Stats

No. of employees worldwide: 165,000

Salary

Associate: £25,000 to £30,000
Advisory Associate: £24,000 to £30,000
Audit Associate: £27,000 to £29,000
Tax Associate: £25,000 to £29,000
Audit Senior Associate: £31,000 to £48,000
Advisory Senior Associate: £34,000 to £45,000
Tax Senior Associate: £31,000 to £50,000
Manager: £38,000 to £70,000
Advisory Manager: £45,000 to £75,000
Audit Manager: £50,000 to £75,000
Tax Manager: £46,000 to £70,000
Advisory Senior Manager: £60,000 to £100,000
Tax Senior Manager: £80,000 to £109,000
Senior Manager: £55,000 to £85,000
IT Manager: £45,000 to £75,000
Marketing Manager: £47,000 to £52,000
Strategy Manager: £63,000 to £78,000
Director: £110,000 to £155,000

Departments

Actuarial
Auditing & Assurance Services
Business Recovery
Forensic Services
Human Resources Services
Performance Improvement Consulting
Tax
Transaction Services