Antony Perry
3 January 2018: It was named the best place to work in Australia on LinkedIn’s top companies list in 2017 and now a group of University of Canberra students have given us a glimpse of what it’s like to be employed at professional services firm PwC.
The University and PwC teamed up for the first time in 2017 to provide students with the unique opportunity to undertake full-time paid work placements instead of attending classes in Semester 2.
Manuel Alvarez, Emily Bui, Lauren Firth and Madison Head, all of whom are studying STEM-related degrees, joined the company in August to undertake the Industry Based Learning program.
The program aligns with the University’s curriculum and participants receive full credit points towards their degrees while gaining valuable industry experience and further developing the skills and knowledge they need to build successful careers.
The program also puts the students in the box seat to secure graduate employment positions at the company on completion of their studies.
PwC’s top ranking on LinkedIn’s list came after it introduced flexible working arrangements for workers, open dress codes and different work spaces to suit employees’ preferred ways of working. In addition to these benefits, the company provides staff with opportunities to network and build relationships with colleagues and clients.
"Every day, every week is different," Ms Bui said. "The typical week is never the same. Some weeks we have more events and group activities than others."
Below, the students reveal their favourite experiences while working at PwC.
Starting each day with a coffee among colleagues is the right way to go.
Networking at the University of Canberra Women’s Celebration Breakfast. Ms Bui said it was “inspiring” to hear the stories of so many talented women.
Meeting the team at Integra Service Dogs Australia, an organisation that uses highly trained dogs to enrich the lives of veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The students helped to develop the organisation’s website.
Presenting at the University’s Students + Industry event in November. The event is held each semester to give students an opportunity to showcase the projects they have worked on. Ms Firth said it was a “great opportunity to share our learning journey and reflect on our time so far at PwC”.
Networking at Leverage, PwC’s monthly staff meeting. “Leverage is about getting together with colleagues, networking and learning about different areas of the company,” Ms Firth said.
Finishing the year in style, celebrating with 200 colleagues at an end of year party.
Mr Alvarez is studying information technology, Ms Bui is studying information technology and media arts and production, Ms Firth is studying business administration and business informatics, and Ms Head is studying information technology and commerce.
