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My internship experience at PwC
06/02/23
Caitlin Hemminga started her six-month internship in Tax & Legal at PwC in Zurich on 1 November 2022. Three weeks after her start, Caitlin had the opportunity to participate in our Internship Day, where all interns have the chance to get to know each other, learn how to position themselves and improve their networking skills.
In the following interview, Caitlin talks about her journey as an intern at PwC and her key takeaways from the Internship Day 2022.
How did you come about to do an internship at PwC?
I decided to do an internship at PwC because I am interested in supporting clients in different sectors at various stages of their data protection journey. PwC is a great place to collaborate with other lines of services and to grow your skills.
Another reason to do an internship at PwC is the firm culture: every employee has a coach and buddy, which is especially reassuring when you start your career. Everyone is very supportive and makes sure your experience is meaningful and you can learn as much as possible. In my role, I am given the chance to develop the skills I have, learn new skills, and I am encouraged to support a wide range of tasks within data protection.
Curious? Then kick-start your career now!
Apply for one of our internship positions and get ready for an exciting and challenging journey at PwC, where you will develop both personally and professionally.
"The Internship Day was an altogether informational day regarding upskilling and networking at large, but it was also an enjoyable day to meet interns in different teams, lines of services and locations."
What are your key takeaways from the Internship Day?
At the Internship Day we were able to participate in two interesting sessions: ‘Pimp Your Networking Skills’ and ‘Self-Positioning - Beyond Empty Promises’. Both sessions were compiled in a way that allowed us to put our best forward and to grow our networks.
One of my key takeaways from the first session is the importance of setting goals when going to a networking event, e.g., talk to five people or get three people’s business cards. Setting such goals makes networking events less daunting and incentivises you to talk to more people and to exchange on various topics with them.
In the second session, we looked at non-verbal communication. This helped me reflect on my non-verbal communication style, e.g., do I keep eye contact or do I cross my arms while talking? I learned the importance of non-verbal cues, especially when engaging with someone and wanting them to continue the conversation.
Overall, I felt encouraged to make the most of every situation and to reflect on how to leave a positive impression on those around me, both with verbal and non-verbal cues. I also realised how important it is to make a good first impression to successfully grow my network. The Internship Day was an altogether informational day regarding upskilling and networking at large, but it was also an enjoyable day to meet interns in different teams, lines of services and locations. It was nice to get to know more people in a similar position as me and to learn from each other.
What has been your greatest experience and your biggest learning so far?
My greatest experiences so far have been learning the inner workings of a professional services firm and a data protection team and what to look for when engaging with clients. It is so exciting to be client-facing and to be able to use my knowledge and skills to support the clients in their endeavours as a business, but also to prepare them for the changing data protection regulations in the future.
My biggest learning so far is that when working with clients and companies, you should be asking questions since you do not know their business that well. To truly provide support, you need to be on the same page.
Do you have any advice for students who would also like to do an internship at PwC?
My advice for anyone wanting to do an internship at PwC is to be yourself, be proactive and to get out of your comfort zone.
An internship at PwC is the perfect opportunity to show who you are, what your skills are and to reflect on what you would like to gain out of the experience and where your areas of development are.
In addition, be proactive and take initiative. If you are passionate about a certain area or want to learn more about a specific area, reach out to people and find out what they do, what their day-to-day life is like and propose ways to help where possible. PwC offers many opportunities to grow, learn new things and develop your career.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and take on new, maybe at first scary tasks. Talk to new people, make connections, and don’t forget to enjoy yourself and your time at PwC.
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