For those college students who aspire to one day possess a stack of PwC business cards, Mike Fenlon, PwC’s chief people officer, explains how you—yes, you—can land a job with the professional services firm.
Obviously, interning with PwC will give you a leg up on the competition, as Fenlon told CNBC that a majority of the firm’s hires this year will have completed an internship.
And the application process takes not one, not two, but five steps to complete. In the United Kingdom, for example, the third step of the application process includes a full-day event at an assessment center that candidates must attend, which typically includes “two or three stages of group exercises, interviews and additional exams. Only once this day is over will candidates be granted the opportunity to interview with a PwC employee.”
But one thing PwC management is looking for in prospective hires is how fit they are. No, they won’t be grading college grads on their mile time, how many pull-ups they can do or how long they can dead hang from a pull-up bar, or their sit and reach (at least I don’t think they will; I don’t know for sure). PwC wants candidates to demonstrate “digital fitness,” Fenlon told CNBC.
“Every single role in our firm requires digital fitness, whether I’m an executive assistant, whether I’m working in our HR organization, in marketing and sales or if I’m serving our clients in tax services or consulting,” says Fenlon.
Specific technical skills that PwC is interested in include data analysis and visualization as well as artificial intelligence and automation. Fenlon says that understanding how to manipulate data in Tableau or Alteryx can make a candidate stand out.
Beyond these particular skills, however, it’s important for applicants to demonstrate that they are able to learn new technological skills. “Tools change and we are in an environment where the cycle time for that is shortening,” explains Fenlon. “But I think there are certain tools that provide an advantage to students to hit the ground running.”
The article also notes the five specific qualities a potential employee should have to be considered a “PwC Professional.” If you possess all of these traits, I’m sure you’ll have a great career ahead working at the House of Ryan.
[CNBC]
Image: iStock/RyanJLane
