Junior Management Consultant Apprentice
PwC
Choosing a specific career path in secondary school was hard with so many options available, but the challenging and client-facing environment of consultancy quickly sparked my interest.
In my second year of A-levels, I was on the classic university route having studied mathematics, economics and business. However, I was only doing this because it was what everyone else was doing and seemed to be the logical ‘next step’ but it wasn’t what I wanted.
I decided to search for other options and came across the Management Consulting apprenticeship at PwC. This was just what I had been looking for, a chance to have real-life experience straight out of sixth form whilst also studying towards the JMC qualification. This apprenticeship gives people like me the opportunity to work on both internal and external projects over a 2-year period for which we’re then taken through the application process for the graduate scheme at PwC.
Currently, I’m on my first rotation of my apprenticeship working with a global team, where we identify training needs across the global practice, and then find or build cost-effective solutions.
Today, I am working in the Bristol office and working with my team to finalise documents for an alliance certification project that starts next week. What’s particularly exciting about this project is that I’m given the chance to project manage alongside my colleagues to create a training scheme that is given to other PwC employees worldwide. In addition to working on this project, I am doing Spanish coaching through PwC’s ‘Language Network’
After work, I spend a couple of hours studying for my upcoming exams. These consist of modules about the business environment including topics covering business legislation, organisational culture and economics as well as, business finance.
Studying towards a qualification whilst also working has sometimes been challenging and I have had to manage my time well. I have developed a weekly schedule and knowing that the end goal is to be professionally qualified motivates me to work hard towards achieving it.
As a PwC apprentice, I get college days where I can take a week of instructor-led training for the exams. This allows me to study with those also doing an apprenticeship and I find it makes studying more enjoyable because I am with people who are all in the same boat.
So far, I would say that the management consultancy apprenticeship is the best decision I’ve made. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to dive into a career straight away I feel that I have been both supported and offered opportunities to develop early on in my career and I have been able to work in the public, private and financial service sectors. This has given me the necessary skill sets to begin the graduate scheme.
I’ve also been able to network outside of my cohort with employees in all grades at PwC which has given me multiple perspectives of the industry and advice from those who have been in your shoes before.
So, if you’re also choosing your next steps right now, I’d suggest considering your options outside of university and thinking outside the box. You never know where an apprenticeship could lead you.