Graduate programme 2021
#mygraduatelife
Think beyond what success means to you.
Your graduate programme
Every graduate knows how important training, mentoring and exposure to real work are. That's why the stories that every employer tells you sound the same. We aren't every employer. We go beyond and think beyond. At PwC, you'll have the opportunity to make a lasting difference to the world's biggest businesses. As well as industry-leading coaching, you'll get our total support as you work for a professional accreditation. We're looking for a new generation of talent to bring their life skills and new ways of thinking to our business.
Entry requirements
Final-year graduate and postgraduate university students on track to achieve a 2.1 minimum.
Your graduate life starts here
Duration: 00:02:01
Why should I choose PwC?
It's a place to grow and make a difference
Our graduate programme is the ideal launchpad for your career. Your progress is our priority. From your first day, you'll be working with clients, sharing your unique perspective and making a difference. We offer continuous learning opportunities to accelerate your personal and professional growth. You will build strong relationships and have the chance to learn from the best. You can gain a professional qualification or take up an international secondment. We reward your progress with salary and grade progression.
It's full of opportunities for people like you
Here, no two career paths are the same. One thing that defines them all is choice. You'll get the opportunity to work in a variety of areas. You can build on your own unique strengths, or choose to stretch yourself in a completely new field. If you want to improve your skills, if there's a team you want to work on – all you have to do is ask. We want your individual talent to shine wherever you decide you can add the most value. Being yourself and lending your individuality to the mix is what will lead you, and us, to success.
It's more than a place to work
A graduate place with us is more than a good career move. We'll be honest; we expect you to work hard and meet your deadlines. During busy times, you might have to put in some extra hours. In turn, we allow you to build up your overtime and use it to take time off. But we care about you, not just the job you do. Your life shouldn't be on hold from Monday to Friday; flexibility is key to our approach. You'll start alongside over 350 other graduates and learn from each other as much as you'll learn from us.
Where will my graduate life take me?
Find your fit in one of our teams.
Assurance
Use your knowledge and insight to help clients move forward with confidence.
Risk Assurance
Identify and mitigate threats and help your clients maximise opportunities.
Tax
Advise and create new efficiencies for your clients as they grow and innovate.
Consulting
Activate your insights and help clients refine operations and redefine success.
What's it like to work in Assurance?
You'll use your analytical and technical skills to help our clients identify risks and opportunities. You'll work as part of a team to ensure the accuracy of their financial statements. You'll review their internal processes and share your insights. It's fact-finding work, and you'll have one-to-one meetings with senior stakeholders, financial controllers and directors. You'll be trusted with confidential information and given responsibilities from day one.
What will my day-to-day role involve?
A typical day will see you working with your team to ensure the accuracy of your clients' financial statements. You'll get familiar with your clients' books and get a grounding in their business and their industry. You'll always be asking questions to help you develop a comprehensive picture of your clients' business. You'll examine everything from strategic plans to invoices to get real insight into their operations. What's challenging and exciting about working in Assurance is that every day is different. The complexities of every client and industry you work on will be unique. That's what makes assurance such stimulating work.
What will I learn?
You'll receive exceptional on-the-job training which will help you work towards your Chartered Accountants Ireland qualification. You'll get continuous coaching, feedback and guidance from your colleagues as you grow into a trusted business advisor. As you progress, you'll become responsible for coaching junior team members, delegating responsibility and managing your audit clients. You'll work closely with managers and partners to make a lasting impact to your clients' business.
What's it like to work in Risk Assurance?
Working in Risk Assurance means helping our clients address the threats they know and identifying the ones they don't. As well as assisting in protecting their business, you'll point out any untapped opportunities that arise from your assessment. You'll share your insights in back offices and boardrooms, helping senior management make smarter business decisions. And you'll work with a diverse range of clients across all industry sectors including Financial Services, Retail and Consumer, Technology, Communications and Pharmaceuticals.
What will your day-to-day work involve?
Your day-to-day work in risk assurance will see you work closely with our clients to ensure all their systems and processes are accurate and up to speed. Your clients will vary from tech start-ups to charities to some of the world's biggest blue chip companies. The work we do in risk assurance puts our clients to be in a better position to build trust among their stakeholders and reassure them that their organisation is being well run.
What will I learn?
You will learn how to test and assess your clients' business and report your findings. Using a blend of the skills you'll acquire, you'll be able to identify a range of control and risk issues caused by the unique challenges of their business and industry. You will use this knowledge to help you achieve your accounting qualification or further study in Computing. Over time you'll be able to advise on a wide range of topics including technology change, data complexity and proliferation, business model transformation and many more.
What is it like to work in Tax?
As a graduate in Ireland's leading tax practice, you'll experience what it's like to work in an always challenging field that never stands still. You'll come up with the most efficient structures for your clients, who will be some of Ireland's biggest companies across all kinds of industries. You will liaise with senior management, and your insight will make a difference to their bottom line. You'll research the latest developments in the ever-changing tax landscape.
What will your day-to-day role involve?
Your day-to-day work in Tax means will see you helping businesses to grow and innovate. You'll have the opportunity to gain insight into all areas of tax, not just the area you're currently working in. You'll be part of a high-performing team who will value your unique perspectives and act on your pioneering ideas. You will be preparing tax advice memorandums, conducting tax research, preparing and filing tax returns. All the while, you'll be advising your clients of changes in legislation which may affect them and their business.
What will you learn?
When it comes to your development in the tax team, the only limit is how much you want to learn. And as you study for an internationally recognised tax or accounting qualification, we will support you every step of the way. While studying for your exams, you'll be supporting your team and delivering tax consulting and compliance advice to clients. You'll have the opportunity to use the latest technologies so that you and your clients can work smarter than ever before.
What's it like to work in Consulting?
In our Consulting practice, you'll work with some of the best known brands in Irish business and help them solve biggest issues. You'll help clients think beyond the horizon, find new ways to innovate, and improve their operations and results. You'll get to work in a variety of different areas – strategy, management, technology and risk. You'll get the chance to develop a range of skills that will stand to you in the rapidly evolving world of business.
What will your day-to-day role involve?
Working in Consulting means no two days are ever the same. You'll work in a fast-paced, dynamic and client-facing environment. Most days, you'll carry out analytical or field research and support your project manager. Your opinion is valued and actively sought. Your unique perspectives, skills and insights will contribute to your team's approach, and make a real difference to your clients. You will collaborate with your colleagues and deliver high-end solutions to your clients' problems.
What will I learn?
As a graduate in Consulting, you'll learn about our clients and the work they do. You will work in project teams across a range of sectors, including financial services, pharmaceuticals and technology. You'll be immersed in real projects from day one. As you learn, you'll develop insights for each project, discuss them with your colleagues, and present your findings to your team and key client stakeholders. We supplement your development with specialised training in core technical areas, including accounting, project management and digital.
My graduate life
- Aimee Desmond
- Tommy Leahy
- Aniekeme Samuel
- Alex Forte
Aimee Desmond
Assurance – Accounting, University College Cork
Working at PwC has taught me that you are able to learn a lot more than you thought you could. Sometimes when you're in college, it's hard to imagine yourself in the real world. On the graduate programme, you actually get to apply everything you've learned, everything comes back to you and you realise that you know a lot more than you think you do.
Tommy Leahy
Risk Assurance – Business and Economics, TCD
A lot of people traditionally think PwC is just an accountancy firm that you go in and do your exams and that's all they do. But if you're coming from other backgrounds that aren't business, there are so many opportunities once you arrive. You work on so many different projects and with so many different companies.
Aniekeme Samuel
Tax – BSc Software Engineering; UEL Masters in Accounting, DCU
As well as my core training in leadership and communication skills, I know that if I want to learn about another area, I can put my hand up or put something in my development goals. Since I did that, my manager helped me transition into a different role. If you have an interest in going somewhere, or seeing how another team works, you have the ability to get there.
Alex Forte
Consulting – Pharmaceutical Chemistry, DCU Management; UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School
I've really enjoyed the responsibility given to me from the very beginning. It's great to attend meetings with business leaders, to gain insight into their challenges, and then to try to assist them in achieving their goals.
Our graduate career virtual events
Our upcoming series of career events are designed to give you unique insights into how to build your personal brand, how to look for a job in the new normal and get an insight into the parts of our business you can join as a graduate. Look at the options below and register for the events you’re interested in attending.
All about our business
We are hosting a series of webinars about the different parts of our business. In them, you can find out more about where you could be working as part of our graduate programme, and speak to some of our current graduates. Email us with the subject line "All about our business" and let us know which of our webcasts you want to register for and we will send you the details.
- Wednesday 30 September at 1.00pm – An overview of PwC and meet the graduates #MyGraduateLife
- Tuesday 6 October at 1:00pm – All about Assurance (including Q&A)
- Tuesday 6 October at 5:00pm – All about Actuary and other auditing services (including Q&A)
- Wednesday 7 October at 1.00pm – All about Risk Assurance (including Q&A)
- Thursday 8 October at 1:00pm – All about Tax (including Q&A)
- Monday 12 October at 1:00pm – Exam pathways
- Tuesday 13 October at 1:00pm – An overview of PwC and meet the graduates #MyGraduateLife
The Employability series
We're delighted to be hosting a series of webcasts about employability. They will help you think about the best ways you can present yourself and make the most of your skills.
Our Employability series episodes will be released during September and October. You will be able to access them when they are released.
- Building your network and being pitch perfect – 28 September 2020
- Jobseeking in a COVID-19 world – 1 October 2020
- Upskilling and working on your digital fitness – 5 October 2020
Virtual career fairs
We are taking part in the upcoming virtual fairs at universities across Ireland. Log in through your university careers site, we'd love to see you there.
| Date | College | Fair | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Septmber 2020 | GradIreland | GradIreland fair | 12:00 - 18:00 | Virtual |
| 1 October 2020 | GradIreland | GradIreland fair | 12:00 - 18:00 | Virtual |
| 2 October 2020 | TUD | Employability Module Presentation | 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual |
| 7 October 2020 | UCC | Employability session | 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual |
| 7 October 2020 | UCD | Law Recruitment fair | 13:00 - 16:00 | Virtual |
| 8 October 2020 | UL | Careers fair | 12:00 - 16:00 | Virtual |
| 8 October 2020 | Trinity | Business, Finance and Consulting fair | 11:30 - 14:30 | Virtual |
| 9 October 2020 | NUIM | Careers fair | 11:00 - 15:00 | Virtual |
| 9 October 2020 | UCD-Smurfit | Business, Finance and Management fair | 11:00 - 15:00 | Virtual |
| 12 October 2020 | NUIG | Careers fair | 12:00 - 16:00 | Virtual |
| 13 October 2020 | UCD | Business, Finance and Management fair | 11:00 - 15:00 | Virtual |
| 13 October 2020 | Trinity | Law+ fair | 11:30 - 14:30 | Virtual |
| 14 October 2020 | UCC | Careers fair | 11:00 - 16:00 | Virtual |
Related content
Follow Careers at PwC Ireland
