Recruiting on Campus: PwC

PwC is currently recruiting for Winter 2019 internships, as well as their Early Identification Programs (Dec. 2019 or later grad date) such as Start, Career Preview, and Elevate.  Applications are due the night of Tuesday, February 13th on the PwC website. UIC Business caught up with Grace Wood, talent acquisition senior associate and lead recruiter for Chicago universities, at a branding day in Douglas Hall where she shared some insight into the PwC recruiting process.

UIC Business: What are some indicators that a candidate will be successful at PwC? 
GW: We look for candidates that are versatile and ready for any experience that comes their way on the job.  Professional services mean that you will be serving many different clients and working on different problems and projects, so you are never going to enter the job with ALL of the information that you’ll need. As long as you are ready to learn and adapt quickly, hit the ground running, and be open to new experiences, then you would be a great candidate!

UIC Business: What advice do you have for PwC candidates about organizing their resumes and getting them noticed? 
GW: Resumes are definitely important, but my biggest recommendation to “get noticed” is to network, network, network.  The best thing you can do to make sure your resume goes into the “yes” pile is to network with that firm & recruiter by attending their events, etc.  That way, the company gets to know you, but you also get to know the company and see if it would be a good fit for you.

Besides that, my best resume tips are to tailor it based on the job you are applying for. Emphasize and prioritize the relevant experiences and skills for that job.  And of course, keep it visually clean and appealing.

UIC Business: What’s a question that you wish candidates asked at interviews/during the recruiting process?
GW: A specific question doesn’t come to mind, but my best piece of advice is to ask questions for which you actually care about the answers. For instance, questions that would help you determine if it’s your dream job and a good fit for you.  It’s better to do that than ask the questions you think you should ask and are told to ask – the difference is always pretty obvious to the people you’re interacting with.  Remember, an interview goes both ways.

UIC Business:  What’s something you’ve read recently that changed the way you thought about your career? 
GW: I’m a big quote person, so I like this one I came across the other day, that can apply both in my career & personal life – “Stay Humble. Work Hard. Be Kind.”

UIC Business:  What’s the most creative way you’ve heard of someone celebrating the end of the busy season? 
GW: I’ve heard of so many good ones!  Boat cruises with the team, taking a few weeks off to travel to Europe, taking the team to the SPiN ping pong venue. The list goes on!

Have questions about the Career Fair or need interview preparation resources? Contact the UIC Business Career Center.