We recently spoke with Brooklyn about how he secured an Audit Associate role with PwC, how he built his commercial awareness before the interview, how he tackles tough interview questions and how Bright Network helped him in his career search.
What stood out to you about PwC?
I would say that PwC stood out to me because, in everything that PwC does, it links back to their values. They really do demonstrate their values as a company and that stood out to me because it is difficult to find companies that do provide actions rather than just words. For example, one value is leadership they are the audit leaders and also when it comes to social mobility, they are doing so much which is backed up through the awards they have received and partner organisations that they work with.
How did you build your commercial awareness before the interview?
At first, I was not sure what commercial awareness meant. So, I used Bright Network Academy and its commercial awareness modules to build my commercial awareness. I also researched the industry and found out what was happening using Google alerts to show me news articles about the firms in the industry and the industry itself. In addition, I tried to investigate the bigger picture about what was happening now that could impact the future of audit. This varied from technology to regulatory bodies, and I tried to form an opinion based on this research.
What would be your top tip to members going through the application process?
My top tip would be to try to relax when going through the application process. It can be stressful, especially when waiting to hear your result/feedback. But the calmer you are, the better you will likely be in the process. If you are confident and relaxed, you will show your best self. Try to prepare enough so that you can know you're doing your best, but also make sure to take well-deserved breaks to take your mind off applications.
How did Bright Network help you secure this role?
Bright Network helped me achieve this role through two main areas. The first area would be the commercial awareness section on Bright Network Academy that I mentioned previously. Bright Network Academy helped me learn what commercial awareness is, why it is important and how to develop it. The second way Bright Network helped me was through Internship Experience UK. This provided a way to meet and learn more about the firms and their roles. Talking to people already in the job that you want to have is a great way to learn more about what they do. In consequence, this also spurred me into doing more research since I knew that was what I wanted to do.
What’s been the toughest interview question you've faced and how did you tackle it?
The toughest interview question that I faced was a scenario question that was asking how I would try to persuade my team to adopt a new technology that I have seen in action and thought was useful to incorporate into our work. As I was not expecting this kind of question, I took a little bit of time to think about it. I tried to think about what I would do in that situation then thought about how to structure my answer. I talked through my thought process of introducing the technology to the team and its benefits/drawbacks to show a balanced viewpoint.
Did you use Bright Network Academy in your career search and if so, how did it help you?
As mentioned previously, I did use Bright Network Academy to learn about commercial awareness. This helped me learn what I need to look for and how to do it. However, I also looked at the tailored videos towards the application process covering how to perform better in interviews looking at the STAR technique and other tips. Bright Network Academy has lots of useful information and videos, which can help you generally or for something specific you have a problem understanding.
What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?
- Prepare for applications by completing online tests, researching the company/role, learning interview techniques etc.
- Practice for interviews by creating your own questions and answers, practice in the mirror/camera to see how you look.
- Positivity - try to be positive and confident. Take it as a learning experience and try to improve with each application you do.
