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PwC Interview

Hi ya'll

I have an interview at PwC's Cardiff ( :eek:

) location in less than two weeks. The post for which I applied is assurance and I really need advice as to what to expect in the 1st round of interviews. Any tests? How long? What type of questions? etc.

General advice/tips is also appreciated.

Thanks :smile:

Incidentally, this is for their gap year programme.

Reply 1

redshoes4

From what i gather you need to really do a lot a reading and have a lot of knowlegde to impress them. They expect you to know a lot more about the business world than some others like deloitte. You need to make sure you really understand what assurance is and its place in business. Read something like the finacial times or the finance pages of a paper like the times.
My advice would be to serisously swott up on all things PwC and assurance so that you can impress them. Also be clear about why you want to work for them and that service line and it wouldnt hurt to mention you would consider a career with them once you graduate.

Reply 2

Singh_87

look at ur pm mate.. :smile:

Reply 3

Dimez

Thanks a lot guys for your advice. :smile:

I have 2 specific questions that I desperately need answering:

1) How long, approx, does the interview last?

2) I have a somewhat vague overview of what assurance is and what it entails, but can someone provide me with a thorough explanation please.

Answers to both questions would be greatly appreciated. :smile:

Reply 4

Singh_87

my first interview was near enough exactly an hour long...
from what my understanding is, assurance is the collective name for things such as accounting and auditing, it deals with providing a true and fair view of the financial status of a company....

Reply 5

shinytoy

mines was 1 1/2 hrs long and some of the questions were weird and hard. like i worked for Pizza Hut when i was 16 and thy asked me all this stuff about its management and business structure and efficiency as an organisation

Reply 6

Dimez

But didn't you apply as an undergraduate? I'd expect undergraduate interviews to be more taxing than pre-university ones.

Reply 7

Anne Auraque

My first interview was 3/4 hour. It really isn't that hard.

Just know some info on PwC, the industry and have a decent application. They will ask you about competencies etc., which are easy questions. They want to check you're not a weirdo, and that you will fit in.

Reply 8

Dimez

Hey, what makes PwC any different from their main competitors?

Did my research but can't seem to find anything viable.

Reply 9

brabzzz

lol. Very little. Seriously, ask your interviewer the same question!

Reply 10

Dimez

Heh! So the chances of getting asked that question is minimal?

Reply 11

brabzzz

They'll probably ask it in some form (why us?) but i'm sure they'd be pushed to say more than the sales blurb: 'great culture, opportunities, 'interesting' work and reputation' stuff. Don't feel obliged to spend hours researching a better answer...you both know that it's just a mutually conveneint answer you/they expect to hear. imho.

Reply 12

Dimez

'great culture, opportunities, 'interesting' work and reputation'

Saying those sort of things for a gap year student is not bad, is it?

What do they expect us to say? The socio-political/economic impact PwC has on the world!

Reply 13

brabzzz

It's pretty much a case of reading their website, the bits that try to convince you to join up and the 'we're so great' bits. That's what they want to hear.

I reckon all the above are perfectly resonable, even for a gapper. They're certainy all true (within limits).

Reply 14

TLGeorge

Hi Dimez,

I'm on the September 06 program for Tax in London. The first interview was more a chat really... don't get me wrong, you need to be up to date on business current affairs, and be able to comment on it - but it is basically just seeing whether you are the right type of person for PwC.

The Final Assessment Day is when you are pushed a lot more, and they test a whole host of other skills and attributes.

Reply 15

Dimez

Hey, I have a question: What should you do when an interviewer asks you "Give me an example of a time when you leade a team/group" but you've already exhausted all your examples and you can't really improvise?