Career Start in Audit: Philipp's journey

I’m Philipp, a Senior Associate in Financial Services Audit (Banking) within Assurance at PwC Switzerland.

My first contact with PwC was while I was studying at university. During an accounting course, PwC professionals invited us to the Zurich office for a practical session about group accounting that gave me insight into both the topic and the firm. The experience I had while networking after the session sparked my interest in the profession and encouraged me to apply for a six-month internship in Financial Services Audit, kickstarting my career 3 years ago.

As mentioned, I joined PwC as an intern, which gave me the opportunity to experience a full busy season alongside my peers and confirmed my interest in both the audit profession and the banking industry. I subsequently returned as an Associate through the Career Start in Audit Financial Services role and have since progressed to Senior Associate, gradually taking on greater responsibility for audit work, client relationships, and team collaboration.

Alongside my day-to-day role, I am pursuing the Swiss Certified Public Accountant qualification. PwC supports this journey through structured learning opportunities as well as financial and time support for my studies.

Just as importantly, PwC has supported not only my education, but also my development through the colleagues and mentors I have worked with. They have also played a significant role in strengthening my technical expertise, professional judgement, and confidence. 

What I enjoy most about my day-to-day work is the combination of problem solving and working with people. No two days are exactly the same: the work may involve analysing financial information, discussing an issue with a client, supporting colleagues, or responding to regulatory developments. While audit is sometimes perceived as repetitive, our clients, regulations, and technologies continue to evolve, which means we are constantly learning and adapting.

The people side of the role is equally important. I work with colleagues across different continents and engage with employees and senior management at a range of banks and other financial institutions. Visiting client sites and speaking with people who bring different perspectives has helped me develop stronger communication and relationship-building skills early in my career, and has given me a better understanding of what keeps the wheels of the financial industry turning.

My first piece of advice would be to choose not only the audit profession, but also an industry that genuinely interests you. Audit provides a unique opportunity to gain deep insight into organisations and their business models, and developing that industry knowledge early can shape the opportunities you pursue.

Secondly, remain open-minded and make the most of the variety available at the beginning of your career. In addition to banking, I gained experience with private equity and asset management clients, which helped me better understand where my interests and strengths lie. Each opportunity to engage with a new client, service or topic can broaden your perspective, diversify your skill set and add valuable experience. At the same time, not every opportunity will fit your capacity or priorities, so learning when to say no is equally important. There is no need to specialise immediately: early exposure allows you to explore before later narrowing your focus on an area.