PWC Flying Start Accounting and Business Reading University 2014 Applicants

Original post by winniestar57

How long was the interview? I'm applying for Newcastle

Interview is 45 minutes to an hour. It flies by, just make sure you have plenty of examples of situations where you have worked in a team/encountered problems during teamwork and how you solved them. The time flies by if you're prepared.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 42

*insertusername*

Original post by Harping_on

Hey guys!

I got an offer for the Nottingham course so I can give you some tips. The interview is very example led, so make sure you have several example for each competency, like 'Oh this situation happened and I did this to resolve it and I learnt this from it'. In the group exercise, make sure you don't assert yourself as the leader but don't sit in the background and do nothing.

Cool, so did I! Do you think you'll firm it?

Reply 43

Josie1994

Original post by F10THU

What was your AC like?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Hi,
I found that the assessment day wasn't too bad or stressful, if anyone has done the EY assessment day it is nothing in comparison. There are not tests unlike reading or nottingham, and there is simily a group assessment and interview. Depending on who you have will controll the kind of question you get; I had the head of recruitment so she grilled me about what I knew about PWC, but no one else found that. Also the group assessment is very business focused on a strategic rethink in the future. The reminder of the day gives you an opportunity to look round the university and also to talk to some first years on the course who have just gone through the same experience as you- hope this helps :smile:

Reply 44

Josie1994

Original post by KForshaw

Just a question about PwC in general, do you know what the opportunities are like post qualification to move into a different are of the company? I know its not easy from what I have read, but is it possible?

Also how have you found the course in general, alongside the placements? Bit vague i know, sorry, just want a general overview of how you are finding it!

Thanks

Until you have qualified there is no opportunity really to transferrred, however the regional offices do get sent around the country on away jobs. Once you have fully qualified which is about a year after you graduate it is a lot more open and more free to move around. If you're looking to go abroad scotland provides the most opportunity as they do many oil and mining which are generally based in america. Note it is a lot easier to move into london than out as london is short staffed whereas regionals aren't, however they're still some thats easier for example leeds is very understaffed so even though i'm based in London I could move there quite easily. As long as you have good reason PWC are normally very accomodating.

I have to say I love the course, It's very well structured as we were the tenth year of intake and placements give you a break from university but you're also always working because its during busy season unlike when you take a year out. The course is very tight knit so they're always older years who will look after you, for example for the first years in my office I would never let anything happen to them. The course becomes like a family to you as theres only 50 people and its really nice to be apart of- hope this helps :smile:

Reply 45

Original post by Josie1994

Until you have qualified there is no opportunity really to transferrred, however the regional offices do get sent around the country on away jobs. Once you have fully qualified which is about a year after you graduate it is a lot more open and more free to move around. If you're looking to go abroad scotland provides the most opportunity as they do many oil and mining which are generally based in america. Note it is a lot easier to move into london than out as london is short staffed whereas regionals aren't, however they're still some thats easier for example leeds is very understaffed so even though i'm based in London I could move there quite easily. As long as you have good reason PWC are normally very accomodating.

I have to say I love the course, It's very well structured as we were the tenth year of intake and placements give you a break from university but you're also always working because its during busy season unlike when you take a year out. The course is very tight knit so they're always older years who will look after you, for example for the first years in my office I would never let anything happen to them. The course becomes like a family to you as theres only 50 people and its really nice to be apart of- hope this helps :smile:

Okay thanks a lot this has helped a lot! I have an offer for this course now so am excited about it. Very interesting to hear about London being understaffed, I have heard that elsewhere but I always assumed it would be hard to gain a place at the london office, but I guess its much bigger.

Thanks for the help! :smile:

Reply 46

Josie1994

Original post by KForshaw

Okay thanks a lot this has helped a lot! I have an offer for this course now so am excited about it. Very interesting to hear about London being understaffed, I have heard that elsewhere but I always assumed it would be hard to gain a place at the london office, but I guess its much bigger.

Thanks for the help! :smile:

Well Newcastle gets the most London places given to them, currently each office takes 6 each year, into LTT LMT BCM or IIM. Three places for each go to newcastle, two reading and one nottingham. You get a form to fill in and as long as you explain your reasoning of where you want to go and why most people get their first choices.

Reply 47

SnikeAE

Hi, I've recently been offered a place on the PwC course at Nottingham and have a couple of questions, please: other than payment for the work placements, does PwC provide any other financial help, such as with fees or accommodation costs? Also, could you please give me an idea of approximately how much you get paid for each placement? I've tried looking on the PwC website about the course but can't find anything about this.

Many thanks :-)

Reply 48

Original post by Josie1994

Well Newcastle gets the most London places given to them, currently each office takes 6 each year, into LTT LMT BCM or IIM. Three places for each go to newcastle, two reading and one nottingham. You get a form to fill in and as long as you explain your reasoning of where you want to go and why most people get their first choices.

Ahhh okay that sounds good then. Just to clarify, what do LTT LMT BCM and IIM stand for specifically?

Thanks again!

Reply 49

Is it vital to have business knowledge because I don't and I have the assessment centre on the 29th of January. :frown:

Reply 50

Original post by winniestar57

Is it vital to have business knowledge because I don't and I have the assessment centre on the 29th of January. :frown:

They will probably ask you a question about if you have read an interesting article recently. So just pick one case study that is in say a BBC article and learn it and make sure you can talk about it, and when you do, act interested in it. I picked an article about Jaguar Land Rover expanding into Brazil.

It may also be necessary to have a bit of brief knowledge on the general economy, how/if it is improving but thats not as necessary as my first point.

Im pretty sure they will ask you about an article because my interviewer seemed to have all her questions on a printed sheet in her folder which i assume was given to all the interviewers :smile:

Hope this helps a little.

Reply 51

*insertusername*

Original post by winniestar57

Is it vital to have business knowledge because I don't and I have the assessment centre on the 29th of January. :frown:

As has already been said, just pick one case study - but you have to know it REALLY well. My interviewer asked so many questions about it and really dug deep into the effects it would have on the global economy as a whole, etc. So only choose something technical if you fully understand it :biggrin:

Reply 52

Oh right okay. I'll do some research on it and see what I can find. I think I'm going to struggle because of my lack of business knowledge.

Reply 53

Original post by winniestar57

Oh right okay. I'll do some research on it and see what I can find. I think I'm going to struggle because of my lack of business knowledge.

You don't need to know everything, just pick the one article off the BBC or elsewhere, and read it all and make sure you know it. Think about the impacts. This is why I did JLR, they expanded into Brazil, are building a £250 million factory, to cope with a 40% increase in demand over there. Brazil is one of the BRIC economies. Therefore its important for companies to benefit from the new and increasing wealthy population in these areas of the world. Thats was the jist of it and i don't think i said much more than that.

Reply 54

What is suitable clothing?

Reply 55

simrankx

Original post by Harping_on

Hey guys!

I got an offer for the Nottingham course so I can give you some tips. The interview is very example led, so make sure you have several example for each competency, like 'Oh this situation happened and I did this to resolve it and I learnt this from it'. In the group exercise, make sure you don't assert yourself as the leader but don't sit in the background and do nothing.

Hi! For the interview at Nottingham, did they ask you any questions to do with the supplementary application form or were all the questions competency based? :smile:

Reply 56

Dilzz

Original post by KForshaw

You don't need to know everything, just pick the one article off the BBC or elsewhere, and read it all and make sure you know it. Think about the impacts. This is why I did JLR, they expanded into Brazil, are building a £250 million factory, to cope with a 40% increase in demand over there. Brazil is one of the BRIC economies. Therefore its important for companies to benefit from the new and increasing wealthy population in these areas of the world. Thats was the jist of it and i don't think i said much more than that.

What other questions do they ask? Also, how was the psychometric tests and is it a minute a question? ..My AC is on 29th January and I'm really scared :/

Reply 57

Original post by Dilzz

What other questions do they ask? Also, how was the psychometric tests and is it a minute a question? ..My AC is on 29th January and I'm really scared :/

Pretty much every question was started "Can you give me an example of a time when....".

I would say the most common theme was teamwork, definitely, so make sure you have a lot of examples (preferable business examples if you have done any workshops or things like Young Enterprise) of that. One question I struggled on was when they asked if i could think of an example of teamwork where we have had to change our goal half way through, and another was if i could think of an example of when there was a tough situation to deal with in a team and how we could overcome it.

I didn't do have to do any psychometric tests. Which have you applied for, Newcastle or Reading? And have they specifically stated that you will have to take them? I applied for newcastle and the AC was simply an interview and a group assessment.

Reply 58