I’m Ariana and I started at PwC Australia as a Trainee in the Banking and Capital Markets team, which sits under Financial Services Assurance, and I’ve just finished a Bachelor of Business majoring in Extended Accounting with a sub-major in Financial Services.
Something to know about me: I’ve never loved studying. I learn by doing, not by sitting through another lecture slide, which is exactly why the PwC Trainee Program made sense for me. It gave me the chance to apply what I was learning in real time, with a whole team of people, from graduates to partners, around to teach me as I went.
My Morning: Starting the Day Like an Auditor
What time does your day usually start, and what’s the first thing you do when you arrive at work?
I’m usually at my desk between 8:30 and 9:00am. First stop is emails and Teams messages, then a check of Connect to see what client support has come through and whether I’ve got any coaching notes on work I’ve submitted. That’s basically how I build my priority list for the day.
Then it’s up to Level 16 in the Sydney office for a coffee and a catch-up with my friends before I get stuck into work.
What kinds of projects or client work are you involved in as a Trainee?
Most of my time as a Trainee has gone into large banking clients, but I’ve also had a taste of real estate and super-related work across financial services.
PwC does pro bono work too. One of my first jobs was working with a foundation, which was such a cool way to start my Trainee Program.
Because PwC works with such a wide range of clients, there’s plenty of room to explore the areas you’re interested in. If there’s a particular client or project you’re keen on, you can mention it to your team leader and they’ll often help you find opportunities to get involved.
What’s been the biggest surprise about working at PwC compared to what you expected after finishing high school?
Honestly, it’s how young and social the place is.
I walked in with a pretty standard idea of what a corporate office would be like, and instead I started alongside a whole cohort of trainees and grads around my age, which made the jump from uni into full-time work feel a lot less intimidating.
The new starter program helps too. There’s Greet and Grow events that are run throughout the year, where you meet people from across different service areas and find out what they do. During Social Impact Month, we also get to choose from different volunteer opportunities for the day as a way of giving back to the community. Something that is really important to me.
Then there are the social clubs: run club, podcast clubs, even a PwC choir. Every department runs its own social calendar too, with regular activities throughout the year.
My personal favourites have been darts at Flight Club and sports day, which is basically a round robin of different sports in teams.
Learning Every Day: At Work and at Uni
How does the Trainee Program help you balance university and work?
The Trainee Program is built around flexibility.
You can take one or two subjects a semester, so you can keep a healthy balance between work, study and life outside both.
You also get one paid study day a week to fit in classes and assignments, plus three paid study days per subject for exams or extra work.
Every team I’ve been on has been supportive of my study leave. I’ve had the flexibility to pick whichever study day suits my week and take additional leave when I’ve needed it.
My teams have also been good about using downtime productively. In Audit, there are stretches where you’ve done everything you can and you’re just waiting on client support. Instead of sitting idle, my managers would sometimes encourage me to get some uni work done in that time instead.
What skills have you learned on the job that you couldn’t learn in a classroom?
Working at PwC Australia is where a lot of the theory from uni finally started to click into place.
You start seeing how different concepts work together and how they apply to real businesses, not just exam answers.
Learning from Senior Associates right up to Partners also means picking up knowledge you just can’t get from a textbook.
Excel has become second nature, well beyond what I learnt at uni, and I’ve also had the chance to use data analytics tools like Alteryx and Python, which weren’t covered in my university subjects.
How have your teammates, mentors or managers supported your growth?
When you start, you’re paired with a Connected Coach who guides you through your first few months and answers all the questions that come with starting somewhere new, plus a buddy who shows you the ropes day to day.
But it’s been my managers who’ve pushed my growth the most.
They don’t just show you how to do a task, they explain why it matters and where it fits into the bigger picture. That kind of coaching has helped set me up to move into a Senior Associate role after graduating.
As I’ve progressed, they’ve given me more challenging work across different stages of the audit cycle, and towards the end of my traineeship I even got the chance to help a new Trainee, which was a good test of how much I’d learnt myself.
Why I’d Recommend This Pathway
What’s your favourite part about being a PwC trainee?
I was able to kickstart my career before I’d even finished my degree.
I’ve learnt things here I never would have picked up at uni, and built connections with colleagues and clients that I’ll carry with me throughout my career.
PwC also has people working here from all over the world, including people on secondment from other offices. Hearing about their experiences and cultures has been one of the unexpected parts of the job I’ve enjoyed most.
What advice would you give Year 11 or 12 students thinking about studying business or consulting?
If you’re not sure what to major in, that’s completely fine. Your first-year core subjects give you a chance to explore different areas and work out what interests you.
Start your assignments earlier than you think you need to. There’s always a week where everything seems to land at once, and future you will thank you for not leaving it all until Sunday night.
Internships can be competitive too, so I’d recommend applying earlier in your degree rather than saving them for final year and adding to the pressure.
And in interviews, just be yourself. Companies aren’t only looking at your grades. They also want to understand who you are and what you’d be like to work with.
If someone is considering the PwC Trainee Program, why should they go for it?
Because you get to work full time, get paid and build experience while finishing your degree at the same time.
PwC gives trainees flexibility around their study commitments, and the skills you pick up can stay with you whether you build a long-term career at PwC or take them somewhere else later.
If you’re like me and not completely sure where you fit in business yet, working across different clients, teams and industries can also help you figure out what interests you most.
Quickfire
Favourite project so far?
One of my favourite projects has been supporting a major banking and financial services client. It gave me the opportunity to work on complex problems, learn from experienced team members and see the real impact our work has for clients.
Three words to describe PwC?
Inclusive, flexible, progressive.
One thing you wish you knew before starting?
PwC has a “dress for your day” approach, so you don’t need to overhaul your wardrobe before your first day. If you’re heading to a client site, you might dress more formally, while most people wear smart casual in the office.
Dream client or industry you’d love to work with one day?
Somewhere in finance
Ready to learn more?
If Ariana’s experience has you curious about where a career with PwC Australia could lead, explore PwC’s early career opportunities, learn more about the Trainee Program, join the early careers talent community and see what other pathways are available for students and graduates.
Explore careers with PwC and see where you could get started.
