On Campus Design your own career path

Transcription

1 On Campus PwC s student newsletter Issue 1 / 2012 Starting a new career can be both exciting and nerve-racking. While a new career offers the promise of opportunity, there can also be a great sense of the unknown. Some students may worry that their unique style, values, and interests may not align with the culture of the organization. Others may be concerned about their opportunity for growth. Design your own career path

2 It means that I am the captain of my ship. It reassures me that the firm encourages me to pursue my positive interests, passions, and pursuits. Reggie Stevens At PwC, we understand how important the first steps outside of college are for your career and recognize our responsibility in helping you reach your long-term career goals whether at PwC or beyond. That s why we work with you to design your own path, because you are truly the only person who knows what is best for your career. To illustrate our commitment to personal career growth, we invite you to read the stories of three talented and ambitious individuals who have taken advantage of the opportunities available to them at PwC. Having created very different career paths for themselves, we hope their stories will show you how you may grow your own way at PwC. PwC / When people ask you what you do, what do you tell them? Shannon Fitzpatrick Senior Associate / Advisory My role at PwC is ever changing. When someone asks me what I do, I tell them it changes from client to client, depending on what the unique needs are. In general, I work alongside clients to help them solve their business issues. In essence, I m an objective observer that is able to come in and help discover the (sometimes hard) truth of what can help make a company change for the better. Reggie Stevens Experienced Associate / Tax I provide consulting services within the Transfer Pricing group at PwC. My work involves functioning as a researcher and as a consultant in helping companies determine the most efficient price at which to transfer goods and services between their affiliates. Craig Jones Senior Associate / Assurance I help companies with their complex accounting issues. I travel a great deal of the time and go to the client s site for most of the engagement process. While at a client, I get to meet with senior management and learn firsthand about the company we are helping. I really enjoy learning the business and helping my clients. Cover photo / Reggie Stevens Experienced Associate / Tax Inline photo / Craig Jones Senior Associate / Assurance Back photo / Shannon Fitzpatrick Senior Associate / Advisory

3 PwC / How has PwC helped you build a career for yourself? Reggie I was a bit nervous before joining PwC because I grew up in a small town, attended a small college, and didn t have much exposure to working in a corporate environment. But PwC made the transition into this fast-paced competitive culture easy for me by providing me with various points of support along the way. One example of this support system is the firm s Affinity Circles, which allow PwC professionals from all walks of life to connect. Namely, I joined the Black Professionals Network. As a member of this network, I attended events where my colleagues and I shared stories and insights on how to be successful at the firm. Hearing their stories enabled me to understand what I had to do to be successful in my career. Craig In only a few years at the firm, I have been given the opportunity to experience different types of projects. This variety has helped me to find what areas most interest me. PwC is a large firm but I have been able to build strong relationships with people here. I have found that if you work hard, and express interest in taking on different projects, you can be rewarded with many opportunities to help you grow in your personal and professional life. Shannon PwC has given me the opportunity to work with clients I never would have otherwise. Having these experiences has built a solid base for my career and I think that would have been extremely hard to do elsewhere. While working at PwC, I have been able to express my own goals for my career. Those goals have been heard by my team and they, in turn, have provided me with the opportunities to achieve them. Being here has really challenged me and pushed me to surprise even myself. PwC / What do you find most rewarding about your career at PwC? Craig I decided to begin my career with PwC because I wanted to learn about the world of business. In addition to enhancing my understanding of business principles, this past summer I was able to take a three-month sabbatical so that I could work with a non-profit organization in Los Angeles. Having only been with the firm for a few years, I felt nervous about asking for the time off, but I received strong support from my group. It is rewarding to look back now and see how much I have grown, both professionally and personally, in only three short years. Shannon What I find most rewarding about working at PwC is really seeing the impact of what our work brings to our clients. Our clients are everywhere, and working in Operations within Advisory, we see everything from large energy companies to designer retailers. I find it really rewarding when I m going about my life and something catches my eye a product in a restaurant, a news article about a former client winning new business having had firsthand knowledge of what may have went into making some of those things possible and understanding how the business works behind the scenes. Reggie I find my role as a mentor immeasurably rewarding. Being able to put myself in the shoes of first year Associates, and coaching them through issues as they arise is indescribably satisfying. Acting as a mentor and coach invokes a sense of reciprocal goodwill. I cherish the opportunities to provide insight that could potentially be beneficial to the professional development of my colleagues. I have found that this goodwill is an integral part of the PwC culture, and one that I find very rewarding in my own professional and personal development.

4 PwC / Where do you see your career at PwC taking you in the future? Reggie Within the Transfer Pricing group, we perform economic studies for clients. I enjoy answering the tough questions and this overall investigative aspect of business. I would like to continue to perform research with PwC or even within an academic setting. I m currently working alongside many PhD economists, and I could certainly envision becoming a business school professor some day. Craig At PwC, people have sat with me and coached me along to help me develop personally and professionally. As I am put on new projects and learn to solve new issues, I know my career at PwC will continue to be very rewarding. Shannon I see my career at PwC evolving, constantly exposing me to new things and challenging me to push beyond my limits. I m not exactly sure where that will take me, and that is part of the fun. I see my career here as an experience that is going to teach me a lot about myself and what I am capable of, because it already has. PwC / What does Grow your own way mean to you? Shannon Grow your own way to me means not being shy about owning your own career path. It means not hesitating to speak up when something interests you, and also being proactive about following those interests. Reggie It means that I am the captain of my ship. It reassures me that the firm encourages me to pursue my positive interests, passions, and pursuits. This idea celebrates the sense of individuality, liberty, and expressed autonomy. We are a firm of unique talents which work together to solve our clients business issues. Craig I think PwC understands that no two people are alike and they realize the value in giving employees flexibility in their careers. PwC offers a number of different programs (sabbaticals, maternity and paternity leave, tours abroad, etc.) that give PwC employees the ability to try new paths and develop in their own way. Find out how you can grow your own way at

5 Jump-start your career at Our student careers website has the advice and professional insights you want to help build your professional career. Our content offers you the opportunity to learn what it takes to become a part of PwC, while at the same time exploring what it is like once you re working at the f irm. Becoming a part of PwC Becoming a part of PwC is all about you: your achievement, your growth and development, your individuality, and your choices. Because building a career here means taking advantage of signif i cant and varied experiences, we invite you to learn more about a promising future that starts with the recruiting process. / The recruiting process / What we look for in a candidate / Internships / Student programs / Tell us about yourself Working at PwC Working at PwC you will be exposed to a dynamic professional environment. As a f irm, we understand the importance of your decision, and we recognize our responsibility to help professionals reach their career goals. See how the knowledge, relationships, and benef its that come with a career at PwC can add up to something great. / Why choose PwC / What it is like to work here / Coaching, learning, and development / Benef its and programs / Working abroad

6 PwC ( provides industry-focused assurance, tax, and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stake-holders. More than 169,000 people in 158 countries across our network share their thinking, experience, and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. All rights reserved. We are proud to be an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer.