Career long learning - My experiences

So the first part of busy season is behind us and I thought I would talk less about the work, and talk more about one of the unspoken benefits of working with PwC; development and experiences. While CASB and studying for the UFE are big contributors to developing as a CA, one of the biggest benefits is the work experience and opportunities at PwC which help develop amazing skills to help you in any future career.

Business Development and You

As you’ve learned by now, PwC is a big place with lots of people working for lots of clients in lots of industries. It’s one thing to be involved with the work that the firm does for its clients by being on engagement teams and it’s a totally different thing to be a part of the process of seeking out work for the firm. Staying abreast of events in the market and tracking company results is all part of what is known as Business Development and it is something that everyone at the firm becomes responsible for as members of the PwC team at large.

Something to think about before the school year ends

Now that offers are being signed, future Summer Students and Full-Time hires will soon be getting ready to transition from the school world to the working (read: real) world. I could tell that making this transition was something that has been running through a lot of peoples’ minds since, at info sessions, I was asked quite a few times about my perspective on the extent to which what we learn in school is applicable to the day-to-day on-the-job experience. I think this is a really good question so I’d like to take the chance to share the answer I gave to students who asked me.

Wondering what the Restructuring group does?

I am now well into my rotation in the Corporate Advisory and Restructuring (CAR) group at PwC and am in the middle of one of the most interesting client engagements I have had in my entire career. About three months ago I had a very meagre understanding of the restructuring business and today, I am fully immersed in a corporate receivership.

Get Paid to Learn!

One of the best parts of working at PwC is all of the educational opportunities and support programs that are offered to help you learn and develop your technical knowledge. Aside from the typical CASB training that is offered, the Tax CA program enables Tax CA’s to build their technical skills through: The mentorship program, the apprenticeship programs, the advanced tax classes, and the conferences and seminars.

PwC Summer Fun Day!

In the downtown office we are broken up into various teams. It makes it easier to sort out some of the administrative items and allows you to build a strong network. How does this relate to Summer Fun Day you ask? Well each team, from partners to summer students, all spend one day each summer bonding over an activity. Given that new staff members are always entering the firm, from new secondees or transferees to Co-ops or Summer students, it is a good way to get to know everyone, socialize and have fun.

What it is like working and learning with Partners

I recall when going through recruiting I had heard the rumours about how partners can be these intimidating people at a big firm. For many of you going through recruiting right now, you have quickly learnt that could not be further from the truth. This was especially obvious at our local recruiting wine and cheese as partners were going around sharing their experiences with you. This week, I would like to share with you some of the great opportunities I have had working with the partners in our local office.

A shadowing experience to remember

It's the middle of June just this summer past.  The summer months are typically a chance for Audit to take a bit of a breather; many people take vacation, get caught up on administrative tasks in the office, or get started on some interim work for our bigger audit clients.  I see an email pop up in my inbox, addressed directly to me from Gord Ashe, one of the Ottawa AAG Partners.  Instantly, my thought is: "This could either be very bad or very good."

A day in the life - this side of the recruiting table

It looks like my fellow bloggers are doing an absolutely fantastic job of ensuring you guys have interview tips and sufficient information about the UFE process support at PwC, so I thought I would switch things up a little  and blog about A Day in the Life of an Auditor During Recruiting.  Let me start with a disclaimer: there are very few "typical" days, as each client engagement is unique.  My days will vary wildly depending on whether I'm in the office or out at a client's.  In the interest of scientific randomness, I will blog about my day today.

Time to “Kick-off” that Meeting

Kick-off Meetings. What are they and why are they important to PwC? When you start working in the Audit and Assurance group at PwC, one of the first things you’ll be exposed to is something we like to call a “kick-off meeting”. Before any audit work gets done, the entire engagement team will get together to talk about how the audit will unfold.

These meetings most often occur the week before audit work on a client begins and requires the attendance of all audit team members involved. It is often lead by the Senior Associate who prepares an agenda and budget for the audit beforehand. Team members take turns discussing the client and the audit approach to be taken. Discussions regarding significant risks we’ve identified take up the bulk of the meeting. Current developments regarding the client are also brought up and discussed. Kick-off meetings may often include people from Tax and Advisory depending on the type of work we need to perform for the client.

Already working in the field and can’t make it? No problem! PwC allows individuals to conference call in and participate in the meeting. I’ve had to attend a few kick-off meetings over the phone because I’ve been in different parts of the Lower Mainland or in the US.

Pretty cool? I think so. I find it to be a great way to meet the rest of your engagement team and learn a lot about your clients.

Later days,