Assurance Profiles

Manager

It was PwC’s reputation both here in Ireland and globally that attracted me. When I first joined I knew the size of the Firm but was still impressed by the number of people working here. What impressed me more was the way in which the people from different areas interacted with each other.

I’m currently a Manager within the Banking Group. When I first joined the group as an associate, the work was more hands-on during the audits but as you move through your career with PwC you take on more responsibilities. As a Manager, I now spend more time on client relationships, coaching and mentoring junior colleagues and working directly with Senior Managers and Partners on specific projects. I have my own portfolio of clients and I work directly with these clients and the Engagement Partner in completing assigned engagements, including statutory audits and other specific work.

Throughout my career with PwC there has been regular formal training designed to equip me with the skills required to perform at the various levels within the Firm. These training courses are a great support and also allow interaction with peers from the various departments allowing development of additional business relationships. On top of these firm wide training courses I have attended industry specific courses which have helped me develop confidence in my business area. Working within such a supportive network of people has really helped me to develop my skills over the years.

One piece of advice I would give to those currently working their way through the minefield that is the graduate recruitment market is to make sure that you select a firm that will support your needs and allow you to develop your career along the path you choose, and this is something I have certainly found with PwC.

Senior Associate 1

Before I attended the milk-round presentations, I was unaware which accountancy firm should be my first preference. After attending the PwC presentation, PwC emerged as the obvious choice for me. I wanted to join an accountancy firm that would provide the greatest opportunities for me personally so I chose PwC because it holds the largest market share and I felt the culture within PwC suited me best.

I had no practical experience of auditing but that didn’t matter because I have received excellent training since joining the Firm. I currently work in the Insurance group and when I first started I was responsible for testing expenses and cash sections, as these tend to be less technical.

However, as my experience has grown I have had opportunities to test more technical aspects including premiums and claims and because of the constant on-the-job support from the seniors and managers I become more confident every day. My department has a very friendly, welcoming atmosphere and everyone knows the other levels within the group so there is great camaraderie.

Over the next few years, I hope to develop my technical knowledge and strengthen relationships with my key clients. And once I complete my FAEs I hope to take advantage of the fantastic PwC Secondment programme, preferably an assignment to New York!

Senior Associate 2

Through the graduate recruitment process I had the opportunity to mingle and question current staff on what life would be like in PwC on a day to day basis and what they enjoyed about working in PwC. From this I got a great sense that PwC was a friendly, sociable and ambitious firm and this was exactly what I wanted in my career.

During my time here so far I have had the opportunity to learn about numerous multi-national companies, their inner workings and the audit approach we take in order to efficiently audit these entities. I learn something new each day and know that it will stay with me for life.

In PwC there is big focus on continuing training and development. As you progress there are specifically designed training courses for the next level you will be commencing so that you are taught the skills and knowledge that you will need.

I was very lucky to have the opportunity to go on secondment last October to PwC Brussels for three months. This was a huge learning experience for me. I got the opportunity to perform my work in a foreign language and culture, the chance to travel within Europe, to deal with major European companies and the chance to develop my professional skills.

In addition, there is a great social aspect to PwC. I knew that I was going to be entering a modern, friendly and state of the art working environment. But I am still surprised by the number of people I have gotten to know over the past few years, and how many of these people are now my very close friends.

Senior Associate 2

Upon joining PwC, I found that the promises made to me during the recruitment process were fulfilled beyond my expectations in terms of varied work experience and exam support. I was surprised that such a large office could have such a friendly atmosphere with a mixing of people across all the levels from Associate to Partner.

My title is Senior Associate 2 which put simply means I have been with the Firm for three years. Thankfully, I was successful in passing my FAEs in September 2010. Being exam qualified has meant that I have had the opportunity to senior larger engagements thereby taking on greater responsibility and enhancing my technical and commercial knowledge. This experience has provided me with great insight to all aspects of the audit file and clients’ business operations.

Training and development is a continuous process at PwC. Each year, I have been provided with technical training. This is a great opportunity to catch up with my peers. However, the greatest training I have received is on-the-job training which solidifies the technical knowledge you have been accumulating since College. I have expressed at times in my career a desire to expand my client base or work on larger clients and I can honestly say that I have been awarded every opportunity for development that I sought. This year I will have the opportunity to present training to the incoming graduates which I am really looking forward to!

The most enjoyable part of working in PwC is that my role continually changes and the teams I work with change from job to job. No matter how much knowledge I accumulate, there is always more to learn. In fact, I never stop learning and developing throughout my training contract. PwC provides me with amazing exposure in terms of the people I work with, the clients I work for and the work that I do. In this way, I feel that PwC has given me every advantage in terms of helping me to succeed in my professional career.

Senior Associate 2

I had two reasons for selecting PwC as opposed to other accountancy firms. Firstly, as PwC is the No.1 professional services firm in Ireland, this presented a magnificent opportunity to work with some great clients. Secondly, and more personal to myself, the facilities within the Spencer Dock offices are excellent and this leads to an enjoyable working environment.

Upon joining the Firm I commenced an intensive three week training course. I have seen firsthand the strong culture for learning and personal development within the Firm. Every year we receive firm wide training and in addition to this I have also received industry specific training so that I can address the needs of my clients and provide a quality service. Each client represents a different challenge and experience which has enhanced my knowledge of the industry. I find that it is important to follow my client’s results and performance through the media to ensure I am constantly up to date with their performance and new developments in their operations.

The thing I enjoy most about working in Assurance at PwC is that you are constantly working in teams. Each month you tend to work on a different audit engagement with different team members. Working in teams allows for greater personal development as you receive constant training from seniors on each job.

I passed my FAE’s last autumn and the Firm provided great support throughout the process. I attended various workshops to ensure that I was sufficiently prepared for the exams. A training contract can be a busy time with work and exams. However a work life balance in PwC is encouraged. The offices in Spencer Dock are testament to this. For example the gym facilities in the office are excellent, ensuring that I can manage to stay fit even during busier periods!

Senior Associate 2

I knew I wanted a career in business. So, in 2008, I did a summer internship in Corporate Finance in London. That helped me decide to look for an organisation offering solid training and exposure to a wide range of industries. I knew that Assurance would give me a great grounding in the nuts and bolts of business and the chance to study for an internationally respected business qualification. Then a few friends who’d done internships with PwC said it was a great, fun place to work. The fact that PwC is a market leader both in Ireland and internationally, and that it has a well established international secondment programme for newly qualified accountants, made it the natural choice.

I work in the Consumer, Industrial Products and Services Assurance Group which covers a broad range of non-financial retail and industrial sectors. I was surprised how quickly I was given responsibility. Soon after starting I helped audit an R&D pharmaceutical company, taking ownership of specific sections of the audit and talking with client staff regularly. The company’s structure meant I gained exposure to different and more technical areas than an Associate normally would. It was challenging, but it was also great to look back after several weeks and realise how much I’d learned in such a short space of time.

The two things I enjoy most are the people and the variety of work. In Assurance you get to work on different types of clients within your industry group and also different areas of those clients. Understanding a client is a key part of being a good auditor and getting to know how a client’s business works can be fascinating. And because we work in small teams when at client sites, there’s a real sense of camaraderie.

As well as an in-depth induction course, I’ve benefited from in-house training for my ACA exams, IT courses and audit training sessions that reinforce my on-the-job learning. There’s a structured development path and each year you take on more responsibility and experience different areas, so the work stays interesting and challenging.

Over the next few years I aim to pass my FAEs and broaden my knowledge of different industries. When I qualify I’d like to do an international secondment, perhaps to somewhere German speaking so I can improve my language skills. There are lots of myths about a career in accountancy. I’d advise graduates to find out the truth by talking to people at PwC.

*PwC would like to congratulate Kieran on his wonderful exam success in achieving first place in the CAP1 exams in 2010 and the CAP2 exams in 2011. A great achievement.*

Partner

I was attracted to PwC both by the knowledge that I’d get first-class training and the fact I really liked the people I met through the interview and presentation process. What’s surprised me most since joining the firm is how international the role of an accountant is. I didn’t expect to have so many opportunities to work abroad. Ireland is a very open economy with strong trading links, particularly with the UK and US. In order to develop your career, it’s important to understand what’s involved in doing business internationally. So it’s almost expected that at some stage in your career you will travel. For me that involved numerous stints overseas, varying from a week to up to six months.

In my current role I’m responsible for delivering our audit and assurance services to a range of clients in the technology / communications and media sectors . They range from large multinationals with revenues of over €1 billion to small venture capital backed software businesses that are at the product development stage. This variety is something I really enjoy. Plus, every day, there’s the challenge of presenting solutions and ideas to senior client contacts. We’re organised into different industry groups and I’ve already worked in all of them, including two of the financial services groups. I have also worked full time in our Advisory practice, where I was responsible for financial due diligence on acquisitions, business plan and working capital reviews, a fraud investigation and other similar assignments. There are always opportunities to move around the different areas and develop your overall skills.

For me the opportunities came thick and fast; I was admitted as a partner after just 12 years, which means I now have an entrepreneurial stake in the success of the firm.

The social events here are a big part of the team-based culture and there’s a busy sports and social programme. Our golf society is very active – with our golf weekend away each year a highlight – and I’m a keen participant. I also like to keep fit – not just for health reasons but also to manage day-to-day stress. The gym is fantastic and well used, though I prefer to get out in the park during the summer, so limit my use of the gym to the winter months. My advice to graduates? Really understand what a fantastic career you can develop from the Chartered Accounting training. Talk both to our current trainees and to our more experienced people and get a good understanding of what’s involved in the training contract and what opportunities you’ll have when you qualify.