PwC's Virtual Insight Week

Back in February, I began the application for Price Waterhouse Cooper's Summer Insight Week; an opportunity to go to one of the offices for a week, learning all about how PwC utilises technology to better society. I knew I wanted this placement for the immense experience I would gain and also learn more about the future opportunities they had to offer. In this blog post, I wanted to share the anticipation of the application process and also reflect on the teachings of the week to hopefully inspire someone to apply for similar experiences.

So, I first discovered PwC's insight week at Birmingham University's open day where they offer a technology degree apprenticeship. I really wanted to learn more about this company and how their courses could positively impact my future career. When I applied, I was actually really nervous. Was I good enough? But I am SO glad I took that leap of faith. However, I had never applied for anything like this before; there were many stages and it was a bit stressful!

   Next, I  had to watch an interactive video and take part in cognitive testing. I found the interactive video really fun. It was interesting to see a mock day in the office and answer a 'Buzzfeed- style' personality quiz! The cognitive testing was my least favourite part which I think is a popular shared opinion. I did like the game style aspect of these tests but I did find myself under pressure. However, I was particularly interested in the feedback from PwC. They could tell I was more extroverted and a leader based off of how I pressed a button! It shows how useful these cognitive tests are and perhaps for that reason upon reflection, it is my favourite part. 

    Finally, there was a video interview, another new experience for me. Although I was nervous, there was a masterclass held by PwC where they gave expert advice on what sort of questions would be asked and how the interview would work. This was not only useful for this experience but also for any future interviews I have. I would recommend doing a lot of research and practise interviews as to not waste time and also so you demonstrate you know about the company you are applying for. A few weeks later, I got some great feedback from PwC with a breakdown of how I performed in each question. This meant I could reflect on my performance and make improvements for future interviews.

    Overall, the application was stressful and I was constantly checking my emails. But now I have the great experience of cognitive testing and video interviews for future applications. And, if it wasn't obvious, I did get a placement on the insight week. However, due to these unprecedented times, I was one of the first people to take part in the PwC Virtual Insight Week instead. But, I wouldn't change a thing! 

This week was a mix of recorded and live lectures on life at PwC, emerging technologies and cybersecurity. Over the last month or so I've been reflecting on this experience and what I've learnt. I thought today I would talk about three of the lectures I attended; Cybersecurity, emerging technologies and working with a social enterprise.

    The way PwC and like-minded companies utilise emerging technologies is extremely innovative and impressive. I was amazed to see how a consulting company can use drones and robotics to solve a problem for their clients. During this week, there were two seminars on emerging technologies; my favourites focusing on Visual and Augmented Reality and the use of drones. VR and AR are no longer solely used by the gaming community - we learnt all about how it can be utilised for training, modelling and design work. Virtual Reality is a simulated experience that can be similar to or completely different from the real world. Augmented Reality is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information. The innovative solutions for clients through this new technology, demonstrate how we need to start using this to our advantages as it's far more effective to be put in the situation. One of the examples that really drove home the effectiveness of technology was the use of drones for a digital audit. Drones can take snapshots of data as they fly over large masses to calculate the exact volume and thus the exact value of it. Before, this would be done by an actual person making it time-consuming, dangerous and inaccurate. This new method is far more efficient and demonstrates how useful drones can be for digital audit and PwC's clients.

    My favourite talk of the whole week was definitely on cybersecurity (no surprise there!) It was interactive, full of quizzes and activities and went into depth about the different paths in cybersecurity. The most useful part of the session was actually the break down of careers in security:

    1. Consulting - aiding clients and suggesting how technology can be a suitable solution

    2. Data Analytics - analysing data on what went wrong, what solutions can be put in place to prevent                                    it from happening again?

    3. Engineers - those who create measures to prevent attacks for being successful and test them

    4. Solvers - those who go in to solve an attack that's happened and provide a solution fast.

I really want to look more into being a solver and data analytics as that particularly interests me! This two-hour session was a brilliant insight into the world of cybersecurity and the career paths at PwC and similar companies. This was an interactive couple of hours with lots of quizzes and activities which I loved. I also found the introduction into encryption and pen testing interesting as we don't really get taught that at school.,

    Finally, we had the opportunity to work with a social enterprise called Minds Ahead. Over the week we had the chance to write a business proposal on how they could increase school support for the influx of mental health cases in young people. We got to ask the CEO questions to base our ideas off of and spent a session talking to him and listening to what he wanted. I really enjoyed this process and also the opportunity. On a weeks work experience, you don't often get to work with real-life clients but this was great! I must admit, my proposal wasn't chosen but I don't regret applying or dislike what I suggested; it just wasn't right for the client. This was a great learning curve as we got a bit of feedback that I could reflect on when considering other applications I might make.

Overall, this week was amazing; I really cannot truly explain how enjoyable, informative and useful it was! I hope to keep in contact with PwC and take part in more experiences in the future. I'm hoping to apply for their degree apprenticeship which is an amazing opportunity, especially as the company seems so exciting and far-reaching. Their morals and values really tie into my own and I can't wait to continue working with them (fingers crossed). Regardless of career plans, I recommend this experience to any Year 12 in the future. Whether it remains online or goes back to normal, PwC's Insight Week is incredible! I hope this informed you on the week as a whole and you also enjoyed my reflections on my experiences.