PWC Flying Start Accounting Program

The PwC Flying Start degrees (accountancy and tech) are the ultimate 'have your cake and eat it' option: the classic uni experience and structured professional work experience hardwired in throughout the programme.

The apprenticeships offered by the other firms for accountancy follow the more traditional pattern of going straight into the world of work, doing professional exams along the way. You do not step into a university at any stage. You will typically live at home and commute in or, if you do move away, need to be sufficiently resilient to secure accommodation and build up a social network without the traditional uni scaffolding.

I have DC who have gone down this latter route and have absolutely embraced it but you do have to understand that you are giving up the uni experience and diving straight into the world of limited holiday allowances, chargeable time recording and the rest of it.

I teach someone who got on the scheme a few years ago. She loves it. Great opportunities and a well structured program. PWC is a good place to work and can be very social too.

Big 4 get their pound of flesh from you. Long hours under time pressure.

The positives are it's great on your CV and at that age there is a great social aspect to it as well, you're all on it together.

It's a means to an end, but does set you up brilliantly for a future career

I think it's a great scheme and an accountancy qualification can open so many doors. When you get higher up in the firm (or similar firms), the politics can become tiresome but at the junior level, it's a pretty good lifestyle

I don’t work for pwc but work for a similar firm. I would be encouraging him to bring out extracurricular activities, teamwork, where he has led things, shown initiative, academic achievements etc. It’s a great firm to work for.

Maybe in audit but not necessarily in other streams/areas. They work on huge jobs so people end up working on a tiny aspect instead of getting rounded experience in all aspects.

It all depends on the individuals. I went in with 20 years experience but hated it. Impersonable, dog eat dog and people would do anything for self advancement, maybe if you’ve never known different it would be ok though 🤷🏻‍♀️
The model is based on huge grad/junior intake every year so a huge number also leave as soon as they qualify, that’s why the average age is something like 26 in the firm.

At his age Big 4 will be better. PWC especially gives kids this age early responsibility in a structured way and by the time he’s 21 and the grads start he might well have better quality work experience.

My only advice is to consider mid tier firms too, particularly for a more personal working environments - working for the big 4 is not necessarily a pleasant place to be (only speaking from my experience though, appreciate it’s different for everybody).